In Vivo and In Vitro Evaluation of a Novel Hyaluronic Acid-Laminin Hydrogel as Luminal Filler and Carrier System for Genetically Engineered Schwann Cells in Critical Gap Length Tubular Peripheral Nerve Graft in Rats.

ABSTRACT: In the current study we investigated the suitability of a novel hyaluronic acid-laminin hydrogel (HAL) as luminal filler and carrier system for co-transplanted cells within a composite chitosan-based nerve graft (CNG) in a rat critical nerve defect model. The HAL was meant to improve the performance of our artificial nerve guides by giving additional structural and molecular support to regrowing axons. We filled hollow CNGs or two-chambered nerve guides with an inserted longitudinal chitosan film (CNG[F]s), with cell-free HAL or cell-free HA or additionally suspended either naïve Schwann cells (SCs) or fibroblast growth factor 2-overexpressing Schwann cells (FGF2-SCs) within the gels. We subjected female Lewis rats to immediate 15 mm sciatic nerve gap reconstruction and comprehensively com

SUBMITTER: Dietzmeyer N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7444218 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature