Neural Regeneration Research (Jan 2022)

Biomimetic chitosan scaffolds with long-term controlled release of nerve growth factor repairs 20-mm-long sciatic nerve defects in rats

  • Fa-Dong Liu,
  • Hong-Mei Duan,
  • Fei Hao,
  • Wen Zhao,
  • Yu-Dan Gao,
  • Peng Hao,
  • Zhao-Yang Yang,
  • Xiao-Guang Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.324860
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 5
pp. 1146 – 1155

Abstract

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Although autogenous nerve transplantation is the gold standard for treating peripheral nerve defects of considerable length, it still has some shortcomings, such as insufficient donors and secondary injury. Composite chitosan scaffolds loaded with controlled release of nerve growth factor can promote neuronal survival and axonal regeneration after short-segment sciatic nerve defects. However, the effects on extended nerve defects remain poorly understood. In this study, we used chitosan scaffolds loaded with nerve growth factor for 8 weeks to repair long-segment (20 mm) sciatic nerve defects in adult rats. The results showed that treatment markedly promoted the recovery of motor and sensory functions. The regenerated sciatic nerve not only reconnected with neurons but neural circuits with the central nervous system were also reconstructed. In addition, the regenerated sciatic nerve reconnected the motor endplate with the target muscle. Therefore, this novel biomimetic scaffold can promote the regeneration of extended sciatic nerve defects and reconstruct functional circuits. This provides a promising method for the clinical treatment of extended peripheral nerve injury. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Capital Medical University, China (approval No. AEEI-2017-033) on March 21, 2017.

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