Advances in natural biomaterials for nerve tissue repair

Natural biomaterials are well positioned to play a significant role in the development of the next generation of biomaterials for nervous system repair. These materials are derived from naturally occurring substances and are highly diverse and versatile. They are generally biocompatible and are well tolerated in vivo, and therefore have a high potential to be successful as part of clinical repair strategies in the nervous system. Here we review recent reports on acellular tissue grafts, collagen, hyaluronan, fibrin, and agarose in their use to repair the nervous system. In addition, newly developed advanced fabrication techniques to further develop the next generation natural biomaterials-based therapeutic devices are discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.