Percutaneous electrical stimulation combined with conductive nerve guidance conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration
Tong Qi, Xiao Wang, Jiamei Zhang, Maling Gou, Chengqi He
Abstract
• NGCs were engineered with a bilayer architecture: an inner layer of oriented conductive fibers and an outer layer of mechanically robust hydrogel. • The concentration of conductive polymers incorporated into the fiber was optimized to mimic the electrical conductivity of natural nerves. • The regenerative technology NGCs transplantation and the percutaneous ES therapy commonly used in rehabilitation physiotherapy were combined. The repair, regeneration, and functional recovery of peripheral nerve defects have always been the focus and difficulty of clinical treatment. Among them, the slow speed of nerve regeneration, the long-term loss of electrical signal control, and the degeneration and atrophy of target organs are key issues that need to be solved urgently. Here, we designed and constructed nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) that can mimic the conductivity of natural nerves to deliver exogenous electrical stimulation and endogenous electrophysiological signals in a targeted and efficient manner. The inner layer of the conductive NGCs was an oriented fiber formed by coprocessing the conductive polymers poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT: PSS) and chitosan (CS) via electrospinning technology. The outer layer was a pluronic F127 diacrylate (F127DA) hydrogel with good mechanical properties. We used a rat sciatic nerve defect model to evaluate the ability of conductive NGCs to promote peripheral nerve repair. Compared with NGCs without added conductive polymers, the conductive NGCs in this study can significantly promote the recovery of the shape and function of peripheral nerves, achieving the repair effect of autografts. This work combined regenerative technology with rehabilitation medicine, providing a promising new strategy for repairing peripheral nerve defects.