Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts neural signaling transmission, resulting in permanent motor and sensory dysfunction. Neural stem cell (NSC) therapy emerges as a promising strategy for SCI repair and functional reconstruction due to its multidirectional differentiation capacity. However, the injured microenvironment severely restricts the therapeutic potential of transplanted NSCs, manifesting as insufficient proliferation, limited neuronal differentiation, and impaired migration toward the lesion core, thereby largely compromising the overall therapeutic outcomes. Here, a flexible and biodegradable PLLA/Fe 3 O 4 @PDA nanofiber membrane with dual magnetoelectric (ME) and photothermal (PT) responsiveness was rationally designed and fabricated. The membrane possesses a three-dimensional micro-nano structure that mimics the extracellular matrix, providing a favorable physical microenvironment for NSC growth. The magnetostrictive effect of Fe 3 O 4 synergizes with the intrinsic piezoelectric property of PLLA to realize controllable ME stimulation. Meanwhile, the incorporated PLLA/Fe 3 O 4 @PDA enables the membrane with high-efficiency near-infrared PT stimulation. In vitro results verified that the nanofiber membrane remarkably facilitates the proliferation, migration and neural differentiation of NSCs under ME or PT stimulation. This degradable multifunctional responsive membrane offers an innovative and promising strategy to advance NSC-based therapeutic approaches for SCI repair. Download: Download high-res image (269KB) Download: Download full-size image