Search

Gerontology in higher education is experiencing an exciting inflection point rising from the COVID pandemic pushing us to adapt our teaching modalities. Many educators have developed innovative learning experiences making use of creativity, virtual reality, online discussion boards, virtual tours, Jam Boards, videos, and breakout rooms. This symposium will bring together gerontologists and educators to discuss their educational innovations. Dr. Saunders will discuss the use of virtual reality in a Geriatrics clerkship experience to enhance knowledge, empathy, and attitudes towards older adults. Dr. Hanna and Ms. Kim will present the use of a virtual avatar to explore aging identity. Professor Barsness will discuss the participation of older adults from the community as subject matter experts. Ms. Redlich will share her virtual internship experience of exploring the intellectual and social benefits of adult study abroad. Although the pandemic was challenging to gerontological education, substantial transformations have been accomplished. The innovations described in this session broadened engagement of students with older adults to identify their strengths and challenges to flourish in the "New Normal."

Experimental stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI) has been extensively investigated. The selection of effective cell transplantation route is also an important issue. Although various types of scaffold have been widely tried as a carrier of stem cells to the injured spinal cord, there was little comparative study to investigate the efficacy of transplantation comparing with conventional transplantation route. A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to standardized SCI, followed by transplantation of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), either via intralesional injection (IL group), or via the poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffold (IP group) or chitosan scaffold (IC group). Engraftment and differentiation of the transplanted cells, expression of neurotrophic factors in the injured spinal cord, and functional recovery were compared with those of the control group. The mean numbers of engrafted MSCs in the IL, IP, and IC groups were 20.6 ± 0.7, 25.6 ± 1.7 and 26.7 ± 1.8 cells/high power filed (HPF), respectively. Results showed higher success rate of MSCs engraftment in the scaffold groups compared to the IL group. Expression of neuroprotective growth factors in the SCI lesions showed no significant differences between the IL, IP, and IC groups. The mean Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor scales at 6 weeks post-transplantation in the IL, IP, IC, and control groups were 7.9 ± 1.1, 7.9 ± 2.1, 8.7 ± 2.1, and 2.9 ± 1.0, respectively. The functional improvement was most excellent in the IC group. The scaffold based MSC transplantation for acute SCI presented the better cell engraftment and neuroprotective effect compared to the intralesional injection transplantation., Graphical Abstract