AccScience Publishing / IJB / Volume 9 / Issue 5 / DOI: 10.18063/ijb.770
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Micron track chitosan conduit fabricated by 3D-printed model topography provides bionic microenvironment for peripheral nerve regeneration

Meng Zhang1† Heng An2† Teng Wan1 Hao-Ran Jiang1 Ming Yang1* Yong-Qiang Wen2* Pei-Xun Zhang1*
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1 Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Peking University People’s Hospital, Key Laboratory of Trauma and Neural Regeneration, Peking University, National Center for Trauma Medicine, Beijing 100044, China
2 Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, Daxing Research Institute, School of Chemistry & Biological Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Submitted: 28 March 2023 | Accepted: 30 April 2023 | Published: 12 June 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Functional Biomaterials)
© 2023 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The micron track conduit (MTC) and nerve factor provide a physical and biological model for simulating peripheral nerve growth and have potential applications for nerve injury. However, it has rarely been reported that they synergize on peripheral nerves. In this study, we used bioderived chitosan as a substrate to design and construct a neural repair conduit with micron track topography using threedimensional (3D) printing topography. We loaded the MTC with neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) to promote the regeneration of sensory and sympathetic neurons in the peripheral nervous system. We found that the MTC@NT3 composite nerve conduit mimicked the microenvironment of peripheral nerves and promoted axonal regeneration while inducing the targeted growth of Schwann cells, which would promote functional recovery in rats with peripheral nerve injury. Artificial nerve implants with functional properties can be developed using the strategy presented in this study.

Keywords
3D printing
Micron track conduit
Peripheral nerve regeneration
Neurotrophin-3
Long-distance injury
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