Influence of cross-linking degree of a biodegradable genipin-cross-linked gelatin guide on peripheral nerve regeneration

Abstract

We evaluated peripheral nerve regeneration using biodegradable genipin-cross-linked gelatin nerve conduits (GGCs) with three different cross-linking degrees, 24, 36 and 51%. Biocompatibility and biodegradability of the GGC and its efficiency as a guidance channel were examined based on the repair process of a 10-mm gap in the rat sciatic nerve. From this pilot study we concluded that GGCs with a mean cross-linking degree of 36% can ensure nerve regeneration with a more mature structure, as demonstrated by better developed epineural and perineural organisation and axonal development, as well as better-recovered electrophysiology with a relatively positive sciatic functional index and a shorter latency of the muscle action potential curve. Regenerated nerves in the GGCs with mean cross-linking degrees of 24 and 51% were less favourable, due to irritation caused by degradation material and compression by the remaining tube walls, respectively.

Dual-Component Gelatinous Peptide/Reactive Oligomer Formulations as Conduit Material and Luminal Filler for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

“…Consequently, bioengineered NGCs can support PNR (e.g., axonal elongation, nerve trunk maturation, regulation of tissue capsule, and microtube formation) by their pristine chemical composition, degradation rate, permeability, and by integration of growth-permissive factors and neurogenic cells [5]. As a natural, biodegradable polymer, gelatin can be used for NGCs fabrication, whereby the negligible content of aromatic amino acids entails low antigenicity and cytotoxicity while conserved bioactive motifs induce and promote PNR [11,12,13]. As gelatin undergoes a sol-gel transition, cross-linking with, e.g., genipin or carbodiimide, has been established to increase mechanical stability and prolong biodegradation of gelatin-based NGCs [11,12].…”

“…As a natural, biodegradable polymer, gelatin can be used for NGCs fabrication, whereby the negligible content of aromatic amino acids entails low antigenicity and cytotoxicity while conserved bioactive motifs induce and promote PNR [11,12,13]. As gelatin undergoes a sol-gel transition, cross-linking with, e.g., genipin or carbodiimide, has been established to increase mechanical stability and prolong biodegradation of gelatin-based NGCs [11,12]. Besides the design of single-lumen conduits, gelatin can also be used for the design of a luminal filler [14,15].…”

A comparison of the performance of mono- and bi-component electrospun conduits in a rat sciatic model

“…A large body of research has been conducted to investigate different kinds of biomaterials for neural tissue engineering including, synthetic materials such as poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) [7], poly( l -lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) [8,9], poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) [10,11] and natural biopolymers such as gelatin [12–14], collagen [3,8,15–19], chitosan [7,20–23] and silk [24,25]. Synthetic materials are attractive as neural tissue engineering scaffolds because of the ease in tailoring the degradation rate and mechanical properties of these materials to suit the application.…”

Evaluation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration

“…In recent years, enormous efforts have been made to fabricate the synthetic nerve conduits for the repair of peripheral nerve defects, and different kinds of biomaterials have been studied, such as polyglycolic acid (PGA) [2], poly(L-lactide-coglycolide) (PLGA) [8,9], poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) [10,11], gelatin [12][13][14], collagen [4,8,[15][16][17][18], chitosan [2,[19][20][21][22] and silk [23,24]. And it is still an active area of intense research to seek new biomaterials with more favourable properties and more flexible processing methods [24].…”