Yin Mei Chan, Nicola G Judge, Yang Hu, Rebecca K Willits, Neill Li, Matthew L Becker
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injuries remain a significant clinical challenge, with limited tools available to physicians and patients. Although autografts are the gold standard for nerve reconstruction, they are limited by donor-site morbidity and availability. Commercially available nerve guidance conduits offer alternatives, yet their clinical application remains largely restricted to short nerve gaps with limited success beyond 1 cm. This review provides a summary of the clinical studies on nerve injury repair using commercial nerve guidance conduits and discusses the shortcomings of such devices, including suboptimal mechanical properties, lack of internal guidance structures and bioactivity, and insufficient clinical data. To address these challenges, emerging innovations, such as biofunctionalized materials, conductive scaffolds, and topographically engineered architectures, are readily being explored to improve regenerative outcomes following neural injury. Overall, this work highlights the gaps in commercial devices utilized clinically and brings attention to the evolving landscape of biomaterials research that can transform clinical nerve repair.
期刊介绍:
Biomacromolecules is a leading forum for the dissemination of cutting-edge research at the interface of polymer science and biology. Submissions to Biomacromolecules should contain strong elements of innovation in terms of macromolecular design, synthesis and characterization, or in the application of polymer materials to biology and medicine.
Topics covered by Biomacromolecules include, but are not exclusively limited to: sustainable polymers, polymers based on natural and renewable resources, degradable polymers, polymer conjugates, polymeric drugs, polymers in biocatalysis, biomacromolecular assembly, biomimetic polymers, polymer-biomineral hybrids, biomimetic-polymer processing, polymer recycling, bioactive polymer surfaces, original polymer design for biomedical applications such as immunotherapy, drug delivery, gene delivery, antimicrobial applications, diagnostic imaging and biosensing, polymers in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, polymeric scaffolds and hydrogels for cell culture and delivery.