Centre for Nanotechnology & Regenerative Medicine, UCL Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK.
J Control Release. 2012 Nov 10;163(3):342-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2012.08.009. Epub 2012 Aug 15.
Peripheral nerve injury is a debilitating condition. The gold standard for treatment is surgery, requiring an autologous nerve graft. Grafts are harvested from another part of the body (a secondary site) to treat the affected primary area. However, autologous nerve graft harvesting is not without risks, with associated problems including injury to the secondary site. Research into biomaterials has engendered the use of bioartificial nerve conduits as an alternative to autologous nerve grafts. These include synthetic and artificial materials, which can be manufactured into nerve conduits using techniques inspired by nanotechnology. Recent evidence indicates that peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are promising candidates for use as materials for bioengineering nerve conduits. PAs are biocompatible and biodegradable protein-based nanomaterials, capable of self-assembly in aqueous solutions. Their self-assembly system, coupled with their intrinsic capacity for carrying bioactive epitopes for tissue regeneration, form particularly novel attributes for biochemically-engineered materials. Furthermore, PAs can function as biomimetic materials and advanced drug delivery platforms for sustained and controlled release of a plethora of therapeutic agents. Here we review the realm of nerve conduit tissue engineering and the potential for PAs as viable materials in this exciting and rapidly advancing field.
周围神经损伤是一种使人虚弱的疾病。治疗的金标准是手术，需要自体神经移植物。移植物取自身体的另一部位（次级部位）以治疗受影响的主要部位。然而，自体神经移植物采集并非没有风险，相关问题包括对次级部位的损伤。对生物材料的研究促使人们使用生物人工神经导管作为自体神经移植物的替代品。这些包括合成和人造材料，它们可以使用受纳米技术启发的技术制造为神经导管。最近的证据表明，肽两亲物（PA）是用作生物工程神经导管材料的有前途的候选物。PA 是生物相容和可生物降解的基于蛋白质的纳米材料，能够在水溶液中自组装。它们的自组装系统，加上它们内在的携带生物活性表位以进行组织再生的能力，为生物化学工程材料形成了特别新颖的属性。此外，PA 可以作为仿生材料和高级药物输送平台，用于多种治疗剂的持续和控制释放。在这里，我们回顾了神经导管组织工程的领域以及 PA 作为这一令人兴奋且快速发展领域中可行材料的潜力。
