Department of Histology and Embryology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Nanomedicine. 2013 Apr;9(3):305-15. doi: 10.1016/j.nano.2012.08.009. Epub 2012 Sep 6.
Peripheral nerve injury still remains a refractory challenge for both clinical and basic researchers. A novel nanofiber conduit made of blood vessel and filled with amphiphilic hydrogel of self-assembling nanofiber scaffold (SAPNS) was implanted to repair a 10 mm nerve gap after sciatic nerve transection. Empty blood vessel conduit was implanted serving as control. Results showed that this novel nanofiber conduit enabled the peripheral axons to regenerate across and beyond the 10 mm gap. Motoneuron protection, axonal regeneration and remyelination were significantly enhanced with SAPNS scaffold treatments. The target reinnervation and functional recovery induced by the regenerative nerve conduit suggest that SAPNS-based conduit is highly promising application in the treatment of peripheral nerve defect.
In this paper by Zhan et al, a novel self-assembling nanofiber scaffold is reported to promote regeneration of peripheral nerves in a sciatic nerve injury model. The promising results and the obvious medical need raises hope for a clinical translation of this approach hopefully in the near future.
周围神经损伤仍然是临床和基础研究人员面临的一个难题。一种新型的纳米纤维导管由血管制成，并填充了具有自组装纳米纤维支架的两亲性水凝胶（SAPNS），用于修复坐骨神经横断后 10mm 的神经间隙。植入空血管导管作为对照。结果表明，这种新型纳米纤维导管使周围轴突能够在 10mm 间隙内外再生。SAPNS 支架处理显著增强了运动神经元的保护、轴突再生和髓鞘再生。再生神经导管引起的靶神经再支配和功能恢复提示，基于 SAPNS 的导管在治疗周围神经缺损方面具有很高的应用前景。
在 Zhan 等人的这篇论文中，报道了一种新型的自组装纳米纤维支架，可促进坐骨神经损伤模型中周围神经的再生。有希望的结果和明显的医疗需求使人们对这种方法的临床转化充满希望，希望在不久的将来实现。
