title: Recovery of peripheral nerve with massive loss defect by tissue engineered guiding regenerative gel.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Guiding Regeneration Gel (GRG) was developed in response to the clinical need of improving treatment for peripheral nerve injuries and helping patients regenerate massive regional losses in peripheral nerves. The efficacy of GRG based on tissue engineering technology for the treatment of complete peripheral nerve injury with significant loss defect was investigated.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Many severe peripheral nerve injuries can only be treated through surgical reconstructive procedures. Such procedures are challenging, since functional recovery is slow and can be unsatisfactory. One of the most promising solutions already in clinical practice is synthetic nerve conduits connecting the ends of damaged nerve supporting nerve regeneration. However, this solution still does not enable recovery of massive nerve loss defect. The proposed technology is a biocompatible and biodegradable gel enhancing axonal growth and nerve regeneration. It is composed of a complex of substances comprising transparent, highly viscous gel resembling the extracellular matrix that is almost impermeable to liquids and gasses, flexible, elastic, malleable, and adaptable to various shapes and formats. Preclinical study on rat model of peripheral nerve injury showed that GRG enhanced nerve regeneration when placed in nerve conduits, enabling recovery of massive nerve loss, previously unbridgeable, and enabled nerve regeneration at least as good as with autologous nerve graft "gold standard" treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Peripheral Nerve Reconstruction, Department of Neurosurgery, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel.
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9590-9764
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rochkind
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nevo
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005782:Gels
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