Duke injectable biomaterial turns stroke cavities into repair hubs in mice, Cell Biomaterials study finds

Duke University researchers report an injectable biomaterial that turned stroke-damaged brain cavities into hubs of repair in mice, helping grow new blood vessels and nerve fibers while restoring near-normal movement. The findings were published in Cell Biomaterials. The material was injected directly into the damaged region five days after stroke, testing repair rather than emergency clot care. In mice, treatment drew immune cells into the cavity, organized a coordinated healing response, spread new vessels through the injured area, increased nerve fibers, and improved motor abilities toward those of healthy mice. Tatiana Segura, the Robert Plonsey Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke, said that once brain tissue has been lost, restoring blood flow is no longer enough, and the goal is to engineer the injured space so immune, vascular, and neural repair can work together. The paper is titled with IL-4/C1q activated astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles and is dated 21 July 2026, DOI: 10.1016/j.celbio.2026.100543, according to SciTechDaily.