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Review
. 2023 Dec 18:11:1306184.
doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1306184. eCollection 2023.

Graphene-based nanomaterials for peripheral nerve regeneration

Domenica Convertino  1 , Maria Letizia Trincavelli  2 , Chiara Giacomelli  2 , Laura Marchetti  1   2 , Camilla Coletti  1
Affiliations
Review

Graphene-based nanomaterials for peripheral nerve regeneration

Domenica Convertino et al. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Emerging nanotechnologies offer numerous opportunities in the field of regenerative medicine and have been widely explored to design novel scaffolds for the regeneration and stimulation of nerve tissue. In this review, we focus on peripheral nerve regeneration. First, we introduce the biomedical problem and the present status of nerve conduits that can be used to guide, fasten and enhance regeneration. Then, we thoroughly discuss graphene as an emerging candidate in nerve tissue engineering, in light of its chemical, tribological and electrical properties. We introduce the graphene forms commonly used as neural interfaces, briefly review their applications, and discuss their potential toxicity. We then focus on the adoption of graphene in peripheral nervous system applications, a research field that has gained in the last years ever-increasing attention. We discuss the potential integration of graphene in guidance conduits, and critically review graphene interaction not only with peripheral neurons, but also with non-neural cells involved in nerve regeneration; indeed, the latter have recently emerged as central players in modulating the immune and inflammatory response and accelerating the growth of new tissue.

Keywords: CVD graphene; graphene-based materials; graphene-based neural interfaces; nerve conduits; peripheral nerve regeneration.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Peripheral nerve regeneration: experimental strategies and advantages of nerve guidance conduits.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
(A) Preparation of GO-ApF/PLCL nerve conduit and animal implantation. Schematic illustration of GO-ApF/PLCL nerve conduit preparation (top); characterization of GO-ApF/PLCL nerve conduit (center); optical images of nerve conduit at implantation (bottom) (Wang et al., 2019b). (B) 3D printed graphene nerve conduit wrapped around the ulnar nerve (Adapted from (Jakus et al., 2015). (C) Schematic illustration of the graphene loaded PCL conduit. The inner-most and outer-most green layers are PDA/RGD mixed layers. The purple layer is single-layered or multi-layered graphene and PCL mixed layer. The blue layer is a repetition of the graphene and PCL mixed layer (Adapted form (Qian et al., 2018b). (D) Surgical implantation of the GelMA/PCL nanofibers conduits (control, no rGO), rGO/GelMA/PCL at two different concentrations (A-rGO = 0.25 wt% rGO and B-rGO = 0.5 wt% rGO) and traditional surgical approach (TEN). The motor nerve conduction velocity of the B-rGO, A-rGO, Control, and TEN groups was comparable. Adapted from (Fang et al., 2020).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
(A) Schematic illustration of netrin-1-loaded CVD-graphene-mesh/hydrogel nerve scaffold. (B) Mean diameter of muscle fibers shows no significant difference between the autologous graft group and the scaffold + netrin-1 group. (C) The scaffold + netrin-1 group shows a significantly higher angiogenesis of gastrocnemius muscles. Adapted from (Huang et al., 2021).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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