Peripheral nerve regeneration using acellular nerve grafts.
Long gap peripheral nerve injuries usually require a graft to facilitate axonal regeneration into the distal nerve stump. The use of autografts is often limited because of graft availability and donor-site morbidity. We investigated whether acellular nerve allografts would provide an appropriate channel for the promotion and induction of sciatic nerve regeneration in rats. Axons sprouted from the proximal portion and reached the distal portion in the 1 cm-long grafts by 1 month. The number of axons in the regenerated nerves was similar to that of normal nerves at 1 month. Loading the grafts with betaNGF and VEGF increased the number and mean diameter of axons and neovascularization in the regenerated nerves at 1 month. The motor conduction velocity increased over time and reached 63 +/- 10% of that of normal nerves at 6 months. The nerve injuries treated with the acellular grafts had a significant improvement in motor, nociception, and proprioception function compared to untreated nerves. The results from this study suggest that acellular nerve allografts may be a useful biomaterial for functional peripheral nerve regeneration.
Kim
Byung-Soo
BS
Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Cellular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Yoo
James J
JJ
Atala
Anthony
A
D000818:Animals; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor