Issue 5, 2018

Gellan Gum-based luminal fillers for peripheral nerve regeneration: an in vivo study in the rat sciatic nerve repair model

Abstract

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) resulting in a gap to be bridged between the transected nerve ends are commonly reconstructed with autologous nerve tissue, but there is a need for valuable alternatives. This experimental work considers the innovative use of the biomaterial Gellan Gum (GG) as a luminal filler for nerve guidance channels made from chitosan with a 5% degree of acetylation. The engineered constructs should remodel the structural support given to regenerating axons by the so-called bands of Büngner. Four different GG formulations were produced by combining varying amounts of High-Acyl GG (HA-GG) and Methacrylated GG (MA-GG). The effective porosity of the freeze-dried networks was analysed by SEM and micro-CT 3D reconstructions, while the degradation and swelling abilities were characterized in vitro for up to 30 days. The metabolic activity and viability of immortalized Schwann cells seeded onto the freeze-dried networks were also evaluated. Finally, the developed hydrogel formulations were freeze-dried within the chitosan nerve guides and implanted in a 10 mm rat sciatic nerve defect. Functional and histomorphological analyses after 3, 6, and 12 weeks in vivo revealed that although it did not result in improved nerve regeneration, the NGC25:75 formulations could provide a basis for further development of GG scaffolds as luminal fillers for hollow nerve guidance channels.

Graphical abstract: Gellan Gum-based luminal fillers for peripheral nerve regeneration: an in vivo study in the rat sciatic nerve repair model

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 Nov 2017
Accepted
04 Feb 2018
First published
05 Feb 2018

Biomater. Sci., 2018,6, 1059-1075

Gellan Gum-based luminal fillers for peripheral nerve regeneration: an in vivo study in the rat sciatic nerve repair model

C. R. Carvalho, S. Wrobel, C. Meyer, C. Brandenberger, I. F. Cengiz, R. López-Cebral, J. Silva-Correia, G. Ronchi, R. L. Reis, C. Grothe, J. M. Oliveira and K. Haastert-Talini, Biomater. Sci., 2018, 6, 1059 DOI: 10.1039/C7BM01101F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements