Nerve-specific extracellular matrix hydrogel promotes functional regeneration following nerve gap injury.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34697304.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41536-021-00174-8 and PMC identifier 8546053.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Nerve transection requires surgical intervention to restore function. The standard of care involves coaptation when a tension-free repair is achievable, or interposition of a graft or conduit when a gap remains. Despite advances, nerve gap injury is associated with unsatisfactory recovery. This study investigates the use of a decellularized, porcine nerve-derived hydrogel filler (peripheral nerve matrix, PNM) for conduits in an 8 mm rat sciatic nerve gap model. The decellularized tissue maintained multiple nerve-specific matrix components and nerve growth factors. This decellularized tissue was used to formulate hydrogels, which were deployed into conduits for nerve gap repair. Nerve recovery was assessed up to 24 weeks post injury by gait analysis, electrophysiology, and axon counting. Deployment of PNM within conduits was shown to improve electrophysiologic response and axon counts compared with those of empty conduit controls. These results indicate that PNM has potential benefits when used as a filler for conduits in nerve gap injuries.