Hydrogel-delivered brain-derived neurotrophic factor promotes tissue repair and recovery after stroke

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. Systemic delivery of candidate neural repair therapies is limited by the blood–brain barrier and off-target effects. We tested a bioengineering approach for local depot release of BDNF from the infarct cavity for neural repair in chronic periods after stroke. The brain release levels of a hyaluronic acid hydrogel + BDNF were tested in several stroke models in mouse (strains C57Bl/6, DBA) and...