Engineering Silk Fibroin‐Based Nerve Conduit with Neurotrophic Factors for Proximal Protection after Peripheral Nerve Injury

alkiviadis.1961 shared this article with you from Inoreader Engineering Silk Fibroin‐Based Nerve Conduit with Neurotrophic Factors for Proximal Protection after Peripheral Nerve Injury Via Advanced Healthcare Materials The incorporation and delivery of neurotrophic factors that stimulate nerve repair in previously developed tunable enzymatically crosslinked silk fibroin‐based conduits are presented. Glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), acting upon motor and sensory neurons, also instigating angiogenesis, uses these conduits as a platform for its controlled delivery, enhancing motor and sensory regeneration both in vivo and in vitro. Abstract Artificial nerve conduits capable of adequately releasing neurotrophic factors are extensively studied to bridge nerve defects. However, the lack of neurotrophic factors in the proximal area and their visible effects in axonal retrograde transport following nerve injury is one of the factors causing an incomplete nerve regeneration. Herein, an advanced conduit made of silk fibroin is produced, which can incorporate growth factors and promote an effective regeneration after injury. For that, enzymatically crosslinked silk fibroin‐based conduits are developed to be used as a platform for the controlled delivery of neurotrophic factors. Nerve growth factor and glial‐cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are incorporated using two different methodologies: i) crosslinking and ii) absorption method. The release profile is measured by ELISA technique. The bioactivity of the neurotrophic factors is evaluated in vitro by using primary dorsal root ganglia. When implanted in a 10& nbsp;mm sciatic nerve defect in rats, GDNF‐loaded silk fibroin conduits reveal retrograde neuroprotection as compared to autografts and plain silk fibroin conduit. Therefore, the novel design presents a substantial improvement of retrograde trafficking, neurons' protection, and motor nerve reinnervation. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.