Fluid dynamics of injection of neural precursor cells

Therapeutic methods in development for treating various neurodegenerative diseases involve the injection of neural precursor cells directly into the brain. In this project, we seek to characterize and optimize injection parameters such as flow rate to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the procedure. Since the injection is an open-skull procedure, cell suspensions must be delivered quickly. However, if cells are forced to flow too quickly through the catheter, the shear stresses may damage or kill cells, as well as cause cell clusters to break apart. To identify acceptable injection flow rates, we drive a suspension of cells through the catheter at varying known rates, and quantify the impact on cell viability through measurements of the fraction of cells killed, the damage to cell structures, and the sizes of any remaining cell clusters. Further work will include investigations into other injection parameters, such as techniques for ensuring well-controlled volumes of cell suspension.