Nerve Guidance Conduits for Spinal Cord Injury

Year 2021, Volume: 3 Issue: Special Issue: Full Papers of 2nd International Congress of Updates in Biomedical Engineering, 20 - 25, 13.01.2021

Melda Büyüköz

Abstract

Every year, between 250,000 and 500,000 people become spinal cord injured worldwide. Since no effective therapeutic plan, injuries result in life-long disability and a broad range of secondary complications. The spinal cord as a part of the central nervous system (CNS) has a limited regeneration capacity compared with that of the peripheral nervous system. CNS axons do not regenerate appreciably in their native environment because of an impermeable glial scar formation and blocked synaptic target. The current therapeutic approach to SCI patients mainly aims at eliminating further damage to the spinal cord. Much of the research effort in this area has focused on nerve guidance conduits to enhance regeneration across nerve gaps. Nerve guidance conduits are predominantly fabricated as hollow tubes or as porous foam rods because of the ease in the manufacturing of these devices. Recently, multi-channeled conduit is very promising because of its guidance capacity and mimicking natural tissue. A combination of multi-channel structure with nanofibrous matrix was also shown that the physical structure of the basement membrane of the neural matrix and nanofibrous structure of the nerve conduit has facilitated the differentiation of NSCs into neurons. However, very attractive innovative technologies were adapted in the nerve guidance conduits production, significant improvements are still required for the advancement of therapeutic strategy to clinical practice.

Keywords

nerve tissue engineering, multi-channel conduit, nanofibrous matrix

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