CP/HA/HGF Conductive Composite Scaffolds with Synergistic Electrical Stimulation for Nerve Regeneration.

Abstract

The challenge of nerve regeneration stems from the diminished vitality of mature neurons post-injury. The construction of a suitable microenvironment at the injury site to facilitate axonal regeneration is a crucial aspect of nerve injury repair. In this work, a conductive and biocompatible composite material, CP/HA/HGF, is designed by grafting polypyrrole onto chitosan and compounding it with hyaluronic acid and functional short peptides for neural regeneration. Comprehensive material characterizations shows that CP/HA/HGF holds the potential as a scaffold material based on its good overall performance. In vitro experiments revealed that the combination of conductive composite scaffolds and electrical stimulation facilitated axonal growth and myelin formation in the dorsal root ganglion, while also promoting the migration of Schwann cells. Therefore, the conductive composite scaffold studied in this paper presents a promising strategy for enhancing neural regeneration.