title: Biological performance of a novel biodegradable polyamidoamine hydrogel as guide for peripheral nerve regeneration.
abstract: Polyamidoamines (PAAs) are a well-known family of synthetic biocompatible and biodegradable polymers, which can be prepared as soft hydrogels characterized by low interfacial tension and tunable elasticity. For the first time we report here on the in vivo performance of a PAA hydrogel implant as scaffold for tissue engineering. In particular, an amphoteric agmatine-deriving PAA hydrogel shaped as small tubing was obtained by radical polymerization of a soluble functional oligomeric precursor and used as conduit for nerve regeneration in a rat sciatic nerve cut model. The animals were analyzed at 30, 90, and 180 days post-surgery. PAA tubing proved to facilitate nerve regeneration. Good surgical outcomes were achieved with no signs of inflammation or neuroma. Moreover, nerve regeneration was morphologically sound and the quality of functional recovery satisfactory. In conclusion, PAA hydrogel scaffolds may represent a novel and promising material for peripheral nerve regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Pathophysiology, and Applied Biology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy. valerio.magnaghi@unimi.it
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Magnaghi
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Procacci
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pivato
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cortese
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavalli
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pajardi
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ranucci
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fenili
authors.forename: Amedea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferruti
mesh_terms: D000376:Agmatine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental / Q000187:drug effects; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000378:metabolism; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011073:Polyamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014048:Tolonium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C521880:AGMA1 polymer; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D050091:Dendrimers; C531249:Poly(amidoamine); D011073:Polyamines; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D000376:Agmatine