Magnetic Assembly of a Multifunctional Guidance Conduit for Peripheral Nerve Repair

Nerve growth conduits are designed to support and promote axon regeneration following nerve injuries. Multifunctionalized conduits with combined physical and chemical cues, are a promising avenue aimed at overcoming current therapeutic barriers. However, the efficacious assembly of conduits that promote neuronal growth remains a challenge. Here, a biomimetic regenerative gel is developed, that integrates physical and chemical cues in a biocompatible one pot reaction strategy. The collagen gel is enriched with magnetic nanoparticles coated with nerve growth factor (NGF). Then, through a remote magnetic actuation, highly aligned fibrillar gel structure embedded with anisotropically distributed coated nanoparticles, combining multiple regenerating strategies, is obtained. The effects of the multifunctional gels are examined in vitro, and in vivo in a 10-mm rat sciatic nerve injury model. The magneto-based therapeutic conduits demonstrate oriented and directed axonal growth, and improve nerve regeneration in vivo. The study of multifunctional guidance scaffolds that can be implemented efficiently and remotely provides the foundation to a novel therapeutic approach to overcome current medical obstacles for nerve injuries.

Automated summary

Nerve growth conduits play a crucial role in supporting and promoting axon regeneration following nerve injuries. A biomimetic regenerative gel enriched with magnetic nanoparticles coated with nerve growth factor has been developed, showing promising effects on enhancing nerve regeneration in in vivo rat models. The magnet-based therapeutic conduits demonstrate oriented and directed axonal growth, providing a novel therapeutic approach to overcoming current medical obstacles for nerve injuries.