Silk-in-Silk Nerve Guidance Conduits Enhance Regeneration in a Rat Sciatic Nerve Injury Model.

ABSTRACT: Advanced nerve guidance conduits can provide an off-the-shelf alternative to autografts for the rehabilitation of segmental peripheral nerve injuries. In this study, the excellent processing ability of silk fibroin and the outstanding cell adhesion quality of spider dragline silk are combined to generate a silk-in-silk conduit for nerve repair. Fibroin-based silk conduits (SC) are characterized, and Schwann cells are seeded on the conduits and spider silk. Rat sciatic nerve (10 mm) defects are treated with an autograft (A), an empty SC, or a SC filled with longitudinally aligned spider silk fibers (SSC) for 14 weeks. Functional recovery, axonal re-growth, and re-myelination are assessed. The material characterizations determine a porous nature of the conduit. Schwann cells accept the condu

SUBMITTER: Semmler L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11468823 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature