Development of optoelectronically active nerve adhesive for accelerating peripheral nerve repair

University Of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE

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Abstract

Project Summary Peripheral nerve (PN) injury represents a major public health problem that leads to functional impairment and permanent disability. Microsurgical suturing, standard approach for long-gap PN repair, is a time-consuming procedure and causes nerve damage, inflammatory foreign body reactions, and scar formation, which delay the PN regeneration. As potential alternatives, tissue adhesives have been developed to reduce operation time and avoid secondary damages. However, current commercially available tissue adhesives, like fibrin glue and others, are far from ideal, considering cytotoxicity, tissue compression due to extensive swelling, and poor mechanical properties. We have developed a novel dual network nerve adhesive (NA) consisting of catechol modified hyaluronic acid and decellularized peripheral nerve matrix hydrogels. Our NAs illustrated significantly higher adhesion strength and adhesion force, compared to catechol modified HA only and commercial fibrin glue. The NAs supported Schwann cell proliferation and improved PN repair after transection injury comparing to fibrin glue. However, both sensory and motor functions were still incompletely recovered after microsuturing or NA repair in the transected and long-gap nerve injury models. In this proposal, we will further incorporate innovative optoelectronic biomaterials (i.e., Si based μ-solar cells) within the NA to develop next generation of optoelectronically active NAs (optoENAs) for long-gap PN injury regeneration. The Si based μ-solar cells are in micrometer size, biocompatible, biodegradable, and photo-stimulable to generate sufficient electrical output. The specific aims of the studies are (1) to develop functional optoENA and determine how the size and concentration of μ-solar cells affect NA properties and PN related cell behaviors; and (2) to determine whether and how optoENAs expedite surgical procedures, facilitate autograft implantation, and promote long-gap PN repair in a rat model. This proposal will develop a novel and clinically applicable tissue adhesive with enhanced adhesive performance and optoelectronic properties for improving healing and regeneration of long-gap PN injury.