I-Corps: Bioresorbable Conduits for Nerve Regeneration

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

There is a need for an ?off-the-shelf? nerve guide that can support the regeneration of peripheral nerves over large gaps. While there are several nerve guides on the market, none are approved for nerve gaps > 3 cm in humans. The innovation effort proposed will enhance efforts to commercialize a biodegradable nerve guide for long gap peripheral nerve repair. The intellectual merit of this proposal involves the development of a novel conduit that controllably delivers of neurotrophic factors for ~ 60 days. The nerve guide being developed in this project has the requisite components to promote both motor and sensory nerve repair over long gaps. The PI and her team have been developing such a guide for over a decade, and this project not only addresses a clinical need, but has supported several students (from the high school level through the graduate student level), resulting in an increased understanding of drug delivery kinetics and the role of porosity on nerve regeneration. The broader impacts are, in addition to the clinical significance, to enhance and stimulate scientific literacy in biomedical engineering at both the undergraduate and graduate levels by involvement of students in ongoing research and outreach activities, Through the I-Corps program, the team seeks to enhance their network of commercial partners and enhance their knowledge of commercialization concepts. Scientifically, the team plans to deliver a therapeutic strategy which results in increased functional recovery for large gap peripheral nerve injuries. If successfully deployed, this technology could address a serious unmet need for clinical care of diseased and damaged nerve tissue.