The behavior of neuronal cells on tendon-derived collagen sheets as potential substrates for nerve regeneration

Abstract

Peripheral nervous system injuries result in a decreased quality of life, and generally require surgical intervention for repair. Currently, the gold standard of nerve autografting, based on the use of host tissue such as sensory nerves is suboptimal as it results in donor-site loss of function and requires a secondary surgery. Nerve guidance conduits fabricated from natural polymers such as collagen are a common alternative to bridge nerve defects. In the present work, tendon sections derived through a process named bioskiving were studied for their potential for use as a substrate to fabricate nerve guidance conduits. We show that cells such as rat Schwann cells adhere, proliferate, and align along the fibrous tendon substrate which has been shown to result in a more mature phenotype. Additionally we demonstrate that chick dorsal root ganglia explants cultured on the tendon grow to similar lengths compared to dorsal root ganglia cultured on collagen gels, but also grow in a more oriented manner on the tendon sections. These results show that tendon sections produced through bioskiving can support directional nerve growth and may be of use as a substrate for the fabrication of nerve guidance conduits.

Evaluation of an elastic decellularized tendon‐derived scaffold for the vascular tissue engineering application

“…Since the mechanical properties of tissue engineered vascular grafts are determined by the properties of the scaffold before the developing tissue produces its own matrix, it is important that the scaffold can provide appropriate physical and mechanical properties at the early stages of tissue development. Collagen has been shown to be an appropriate material in many biomedical applications; for instance, decellularized tendon‐derived scaffold was shown to be a suitable substrate for nerve regeneration in both in vitro and in vivo studies . In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using decellularized tendon‐derived scaffolds for vascular regeneration applications.…”

“…Collagen has been shown to be an appropriate material in many biomedical applications; 29,30 for instance, decellularized tendon-derived scaffold was shown to be a suitable substrate for nerve regeneration in both in vitro and in vivo studies. 31,32 In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using decellularized tendon-derived scaffolds for vascular regeneration applications. Since elasticity is essential for these applications, 33 the scaffolds were crosslinked with the bovine elastin to add an elastic component to the constructs.…”

Laminar tendon composites with enhanced mechanical properties

“…The unidirectionally aligned collagen nanofibers (derived from sections of decellularized tendon) could offer good mechanical properties to constructs, such as prosthetic grafts. Additionally, the fibers contain nanotopographic features which can provide contact guidance for oriented cell growth, a useful feature for the fabrication of prosthetic conduits for nerve regeneration [14]. …”

Estrogen and female reproductive tract innervation: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of autonomic neuroplasticity

“…These signals play a crucial role during development of the nervous system, and in postnatal and adult life, they favor or inhibit regeneration and plasticity in a context-dependent manner (Myers et al, 2011; Alberti et al, 2014). The tissue section culture method (cryoculture) has been widely used to assess contributions of substrate-bound signals independent of ongoing synthesis of neurite growth-promoting and growth-inhibiting factors by the target tissue (Crutcher, 1993).…”