Department of Orthopedics, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Rd., Haidian District, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China.
Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100044, People's Republic of China.
ACS Nano. 2024 Oct 15;18(41):28358-28370. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.4c10653. Epub 2024 Oct 7.
The Schwann cell (SC) is essential in peripheral nerve regeneration by reprogramming into a stem-like "repair Schwann cell" (rSC) phenotype; however, maintaining the rSC stemness remains an unmet challenge. Chirality is a fundamental factor controlling cell fate, and its potential role in regulation of SC reprogramming has long been ignored and remains poorly understood. Herein, inspired by natural chiral components in the SC microenvironment, chiral hydrogel nerve conduits are prepared by supramolecular assembly of l/d-phenylalanine derivatives (l/d-Phe) in polymeric chitosan-gelatin conduits. Right-handed l-Phe fibers within hydrogel conduits maintain the stemness of rSC through enhanced stereoselective interaction between collagen IV and l-Phe fibers triggered by collagen IV-Integrin α1β1, MAPK, and YAP/TAZ signaling pathways and finally activate the key regulator of SC reprogramming, the c-Jun pathway. In the rat model of a sciatic nerve defect, the l-Phe hydrogel nerve conduit significantly enhances nerve regeneration, exhibiting markedly improved histological, electrophysiological, and functional outcomes. The findings reveal the chirality-dependent regulation of SC reprogramming in a pioneering way, offering potential strategies for nerve regeneration therapies.
许旺细胞(Schwann cell,SC)通过重编程为类似干细胞的“修复许旺细胞”(repair Schwann cell,rSC)表型,在周围神经再生中起着至关重要的作用;然而,维持 rSC 的干细胞特性仍然是一个未满足的挑战。手性是控制细胞命运的基本因素,其在手性 SC 重编程调控中的潜在作用长期以来一直被忽视,人们对其知之甚少。受 SC 微环境中天然手性成分的启发,本文通过超分子组装 l/d-苯丙氨酸衍生物(l/d-Phe)在聚合物壳聚糖-明胶导管中制备手性水凝胶神经导管。水凝胶导管内的右手性 l-Phe 纤维通过胶原 IV-Integrin α1β1、MAPK 和 YAP/TAZ 信号通路触发胶原 IV 与 l-Phe 纤维之间增强的立体选择性相互作用,维持 rSC 的干细胞特性,并最终激活 SC 重编程的关键调节因子 c-Jun 通路。在大鼠坐骨神经缺损模型中,l-Phe 水凝胶神经导管显著增强了神经再生,表现出明显改善的组织学、电生理学和功能结果。这些发现以开创性的方式揭示了 SC 重编程的手性依赖性调控,为神经再生疗法提供了潜在策略。
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