title: [The use of chitosan to facilitate nerve regeneration].
abstract: Chitosan, a biopolymer derived from chitin, biocompatible, biodegradable and antibacterial, has many medical applications. For more than a decade scientists have been studying the influence of chitosan on facilitating regeneration of peripheral nerves and neurons of central nervous system in animal models. First clinical attempts have also commenced. Because of many modifications that can be applied to chitosan, e.g. combining with drugs, growth factors, nerve stem cells, and connecting with other biopolymers, this material seems very promising. In this article the authors present the results of worldwide performed experiments concerning the use of chitosan to facilitate nerve regeneration. This work contains description of experiments which used chitosan as: cell culture medium, drug carrier, chitosan tunnels, sponge, fibers, films, multichannel and multicomponent chitosan conduits, chitooligosaccharides and the influence of all chitosan forms listed above on regenerating neurons.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Zakład Fizjologii, Slaski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach. szanuje@tlen.pl
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Właszczuk
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietrucha-Dutczak
authors.forename: Wiesław
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marcol
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jedrzejowska-Szypułka
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewin-Kowalik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D048271:Chitosan; D004337:Drug Carriers; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004337:Drug Carriers; D048271:Chitosan