Shape-persistent Conductive Nerve Guidance Conduits for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration.

To solve the problems of slow regeneration and mismatch of axon regeneration after peripheral nerve injury, nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have been widely used to promote nerve regeneration. Multichannel NGCs have been widely studied to mimic the structure of natural nerve bundles. However, multichannel conduits are prone to structural instability. Thermo-responsive shape memory polymers (SMPs) can maintain a persistent initial structure over the body temperature range. Electrical stimulation (ES), utilized within nerve NGCs, serves as a biological signal to expedite damaged nerve regeneration. Here, we designed an electrospun shape-persistent conductive NGC to maintain the persistent tubular structure in the physiological temperature range and improve the conductivity. The physicochemical and biocompatibility of these P, P/G, P/G-GO, and P/G-RGO NGCs were conducted in vitro. Meanwhile, to evaluate biocompatibility and peripheral nerve regeneration, NGCs were implanted in subcutaneous parts of the back of rats and sciatic nerves assessed by histology and immunofluorescence analyses. The conductive NGC displayed a stable structure, good biocompatibility and promoted nerve regeneration. Collectively, the shape-persistent conductive NGC (P/G-RGO) is expected to promote peripheral nerve recovery, especially for long-gap and large-diameter nerves. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.