Development of a Bioengineering Strategy to Promote Functional Repair Following Traumatic Peripheral Nervous System Injury

• Antragsteller: Privatdozent Dr. Gary Anthony Brook; Professor Dr. Jörg Mey
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Molekulare Biologie und Physiologie von Nerven- und Gliazellen
• Förderung: Förderung von 2010 bis 2014
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 171108486

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) causes an immediate loss of function. The current “gold standard” for peripheral nerve repair is the autologous nerve graft which has significant limitations. Therefore, alternative strategies to replace the autograft are desired. Our goal is to develop a biomimetic nanofibre-based implantable scaffold that will promote functional repair after PNI. Using the electrospinning technique we have already generated parallel arrays of aligned nanofibres to study neural cell-substrate interactions in vitro. This experience has facilitated the decision to develop two types of nanofibres:• synthetic fibres based on poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers functionalized by blending with type I collagen,• synthetic fibres based on poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(ethylene glycol) blends functionalized with a specific peptide sequence from the extracellular matrixThe ability of these nanofibres to support cell attachment, proliferation, migration and process extension will be assessed using purified populations of Schwann cells, fibroblasts, motor neurons and sensory neurons in vitro. The planned bioassays will allow the development of a fibre configuration that is best suited for glial migration and axonal regeneration. Aligned, functionalised nanofibres will then be embedded in a three-dimensional matrix, assessed and further optimised in vitro. The ability of the device to bridging unilateral resection injuries of the adult rat sciatic nerve will then be tested in vivo. Functional tissue repair will be determined using behavioural and electrophysiological tests as well as fibre tracing and immunohistochemical techniques.

• DFG-Verfahren: Sachbeihilfen