Laminin Modified Linear Ordered Collagen Scaffolds Can Enhance the Nerve Regeneration and Functional Recovery

Peripheral nerve lesions often lead to the loss of the sensory and motor function, causing decrease in life quality.In collaberation with the Institute of Brain Disorders of Dalian Medical University, Dr. Jianwu Dai’s group in Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS made important progress in the neural regeneration of peripheral nerve injury.

Numerous experiments indicated that, after nerve injury, oriented regrowth guidance and regeneration promoting factors played very important roles in nerve regeneration and functional recovery.In order to create an appropriate microenvironment for nerve regeneration, Dr. Jianwu Dai’s group had developed a functional nerve scaffold consisting of linear ordered collagen scaffold (LOCS) cross-linked with laminin and ciliary neurotrophic factor fused with a laminin binding domain (LBD-CNTF). LOCS could be used as a nerve guidance material, as a promoting modification, they cross-linked the LOCS fibers with laminin which was a major component of the extracellular matrix in nervous system. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF)plays a critical role in peripheral nerve regeneration, but the lack of efficient CNTF delivery approach limits its clinical applications.To retain CNTF on the scaffold, a laminin binding domain (LBD) was fused to the N-terminal of CNTF. The fusion protein LBD-CNTF could be specifically concentrated at the laminin modified LOCS and effectively promote the nerve regeneration. They filled this functional nerve scaffold in silicon tubes and tested it in the rat sciatic nerve transection model. Results showed that this functional biomaterial scaffold could retain more LBD-CNTF on the scaffold, guide the axon growth, and enhance the nerve regeneration as well as functional recovery.

The work with Jiani Cao as the first author from Dai Lab is published in Biomaterials (DOI:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.02.020). This work was supported by a grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China.

AUTHOR CONTACT:

DAI Jianwu, Ph.D.

Institute of Genetics and Developmetnal Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

E-mail: jwdai@genetics.ac.cn