Pure-silk fibroin hydrogel with stable aligned micropattern toward peripheral nerve regeneration

Xinyi Gu,Tingting Huang,Jue Ling,Xiaoli Chen,Xiaoxuan Tang,Zhihao Zhou,Yumin Yang

doi:10.1515/ntrev-2021-0002

Abstract

Abstract Successful repair of long-distance peripheral nerve injuries remains a challenge in the clinic. Rapid axon growth is a key to accelerate nerve regeneration. Herein, a pure silk fibroin (SF) hydrogel with a combination of high-strength and aligned microgrooved topographic structure is reported. The hydrogels exhibit excellent mechanical properties with high strength. Good biocompatibility also allows the hydrogels to support cell survival. Significantly, the hydrogel with aligned microgrooved structures enables the aligned growth of Schwann cells. Moreover, the hydrogel holds a strong capacity for promoting axon growth and guiding neurite sprouting. Thus, this micropatterned SF hydrogel would have great potential for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Highlights

Successful repair of long-distance peripheral nerve injuries remains a challenge in the clinic
The sterilized hydrogels were placed in a 24-well plate and Schwann cells from Sprague–Dawley rat pups (1 day old) with a density of 1 × 105 cells/mL in DMEM were seeded onto the hydrogels and incubated at 37°C for 3 days
The chemical structures of Tough pure-silk fibroin hydrogel (TPSF) hydrogel were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, characteristic peak of silk fibroin (SF) was observed at 1,624 cm−1, which represented the β-sheet in amide I region [38]

Summary

Introduction

Abstract: Successful repair of long-distance peripheral nerve injuries remains a challenge in the clinic. Rapid axon growth is a key to accelerate nerve regeneration. A pure silk fibroin (SF) hydrogel with a combination of high-strength and aligned microgrooved topographic structure is reported. The hydrogels exhibit excellent mechanical properties with high strength. Good biocompatibility allows the hydrogels to support cell survival. The hydrogel with aligned microgrooved structures enables the aligned growth of Schwann cells. The hydrogel holds a strong capacity for promoting axon growth and guiding neurite sprouting. This micropatterned SF hydrogel would have great potential for peripheral nerve regeneration

Methods

Results

Conclusion