Nerve Guidance by a Decellularized Fibroblast Extracellular Matrix

This study investigates the potential of using a decellularized fibroblast extracellular matrix (ECM) to guide nerve regeneration. Nerve injuries often require nerve fibers to regrow across the damaged area for recovery. The researchers compared nerve fiber growth on the decellularized ECM to growth on laminin and fibronectin, two proteins commonly found in the ECM. They found that the ECM supported nerve fiber growth as well as laminin, but better than fibronectin alone. The study also explored whether the ECM could be structured to control the direction of nerve fiber growth. By aligning the ECM fibers, they were able to guide the nerve fibers to grow in a specific direction. This suggests that structured ECMs could be used to create regenerative microenvironments for nerve repair.

• 1
  Average radial neurite extension was equivalent on laminin and on the decellularized ECM, but contrasted with the shorter, curved neurites observed on the fibronectin substrate.
• 2
  Neurites projected from SCGs appeared to reorient in the direction of the pattern on ECM with linearly aligned fibril organization.
• 3
  The orientation of ECM fibrils guides the direction of neurite outgrowth.