title: Engineered neural tissue for peripheral nerve repair.
abstract: A new combination of tissue engineering techniques provides a simple and effective method for building aligned cellular biomaterials. Self-alignment of Schwann cells within a tethered type-1 collagen matrix, followed by removal of interstitial fluid produces a stable tissue-like biomaterial that recreates the aligned cellular and extracellular matrix architecture associated with nerve grafts. Sheets of this engineered neural tissue supported and directed neuronal growth in a co-culture model, and initial in vivo tests showed that a device containing rods of rolled-up sheets could support neuronal growth during rat sciatic nerve repair (5 mm gap). Further testing of this device for repair of a critical-sized 15 mm gap showed that, at 8 weeks, engineered neural tissue had supported robust neuronal regeneration across the gap. This is, therefore, a useful new approach for generating anisotropic engineered tissues, and it can be used with Schwann cells to fabricate artificial neural tissue for peripheral nerve repair.
authors.affiliation: The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, UK.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: Stephen C J
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bunting
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Loughlin
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Golding
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering
keywords: Collagen; Hydrogel; Nerve guide; Nerve regeneration; Nerve tissue engineering; Schwann cell