Nanofibrous Collagen Nerve Conduits for Spinal Cord Repair

Spinal cord injuries often result in limited nerve regeneration, leading to neurological impairment. Tissue-engineered scaffolds offer potential treatment, but outcomes are suboptimal, possibly due to a lack of signals guiding cell invasion or axon regrowth. Nanofibers mimic the natural extracellular matrix and may promote physiologically relevant cellular phenotypes. This study evaluated the use of electrospun collagen nanofibers for spinal cord injury treatment both in vitro and in vivo. The study demonstrated the feasibility of fabricating 3D spiral constructs using electrospun collagen fibers and showed their potential for spinal cord injury repair.

• 1
  Astrocytes cultured on collagen nanofibers showed suppressed proliferation and GFAP expression compared to those on 2D controls.
• 2
  Aligned nanofibers elongated astrocytes and directed neurite outgrowth from dorsal root ganglia along the fiber axes, while randomly oriented fibers resulted in radial neurite emanation.
• 3
  Extensive cellular penetration into the collagen constructs was observed in vivo, with aligned fiber scaffolds appearing more structurally intact at day 30.