Nanofiber-Based Multi-Tubular Conduits with a Honeycomb Structure for Potential Application in Peripheral Nerve Repair

近日，美国乔治亚里学院夏幼南教授课题组通过电纺PCL成功制备了可生物降解的多管状蜂窝结构的电纺纳米纤维导管。PCL用于制造纳米纤维，具有良好的生物相容性和生物降解性。

　　Peripheral nerve injury is a large-scale problem and it is a great challenge to repair the long lesion in a thick nerve. The design of a multi-tubular conduit with a honeycomb structure by mimicking the anatomy of a peripheral nerve for the potential repair of large defects in thick nerves has been reported. A bilayer mat of electrospun nanofibers is rolled up to form a single tube, with the inner and outer layers comprised aligned and random nanofibers, respectively. Seven such tubes are then assembled into a hexagonal array and encased within the lumen of a larger tube to form the multi-tubular conduit. By introducing an adhesive to the regions between the tubes, the conduit is robust enough for handling during surgery. The seeded bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) are able to proliferate in all the tubes with even circumferential and longitudinal distributions. Under chemical induction, the BMSCs are transdifferentiated into Schwann-like cells in all the tubes. While the cellular version holds great promise for peripheral nerve repair, the multi-tubular conduit can also be used to investigate the fundamental aspects involved in the development of peripheral nervous system and migration of cells.