Local Delivery of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Enables Behavioral Recovery and Tissue Repair in Stroke-Injured Rats.

IMPACT STATEMENT: We developed a biocomposite that can be mixed with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dispensed onto the surface of the brain to provide sustained, local release of the protein using a procedure that avoids additional damage to neural tissue. The composite is simple to fabricate, and provides sustained release without nanoparticle encapsulation of BDNF, preserving material and protein bioactivity. We demonstrate that when delivered epicortically to a rat model of stroke, this composite allows BDNF to diffuse into the brain, resulting in enhanced behavioral recovery and synaptic plasticity in the contralesional hemisphere.