TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-snapping hydrogel-based electroactive microchannels as nerve guidance conduits
AU - Amagat, Jordi
AU - Su, Yingchun
AU - Svejsø, Frederik Høbjerg
AU - Friec, Alice Le
AU - Sønderskov, Steffan Møller
AU - Dong, MD
AU - Fang, Ying
AU - Chen, Menglin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Peripheral nerve regeneration with large defects needs innovative design of nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) which possess anisotropic guidance, electrical induction and right mechanical properties in one. Herein, we present, for the first time, facile fabrication and efficient neural differentiation guidance of anisotropic, conductive, self-snapping, hydrogel-based NGCs. The hydrogels were fabricated via crosslinking of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C
3N
4) upon exposure with blue light, incorporated with graphene oxide (GO). Incorporation of GO and in situ reduction greatly enhanced surface charges, while decayed light penetration endowed the hydrogel with an intriguing self-snapping feature by the virtue of a crosslinking gradient. The hydrogels were in the optimal mechanical stiffness range for peripheral nerve regeneration and supported normal viability and proliferation of neural cells. The PC12 cells differentiated on the electroactive g-C
3N
4 H/rGO3 (3 mg/mL GO loading) hydrogel presented 47% longer neurite length than that of the pristine g-C
3N
4 H hydrogel. Furthermore, the NGC with aligned microchannels was successfully fabricated using sacrificial melt electrowriting (MEW) moulding, the anisotropic microchannels of the 10 μm width showed optimal neurite guidance. Such anisotropic, electroactive, self-snapping NGCs may possess great potential for repairing peripheral nerve injuries.
AB - Peripheral nerve regeneration with large defects needs innovative design of nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) which possess anisotropic guidance, electrical induction and right mechanical properties in one. Herein, we present, for the first time, facile fabrication and efficient neural differentiation guidance of anisotropic, conductive, self-snapping, hydrogel-based NGCs. The hydrogels were fabricated via crosslinking of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C
3N
4) upon exposure with blue light, incorporated with graphene oxide (GO). Incorporation of GO and in situ reduction greatly enhanced surface charges, while decayed light penetration endowed the hydrogel with an intriguing self-snapping feature by the virtue of a crosslinking gradient. The hydrogels were in the optimal mechanical stiffness range for peripheral nerve regeneration and supported normal viability and proliferation of neural cells. The PC12 cells differentiated on the electroactive g-C
3N
4 H/rGO3 (3 mg/mL GO loading) hydrogel presented 47% longer neurite length than that of the pristine g-C
3N
4 H hydrogel. Furthermore, the NGC with aligned microchannels was successfully fabricated using sacrificial melt electrowriting (MEW) moulding, the anisotropic microchannels of the 10 μm width showed optimal neurite guidance. Such anisotropic, electroactive, self-snapping NGCs may possess great potential for repairing peripheral nerve injuries.
KW - Anisotropic
KW - Graphene oxide
KW - Graphitic carbon nitride
KW - Hydrogel
KW - Nerve guidance conduit
KW - Snapping
U2 - 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100437
DO - 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100437
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36193343
SN - 2590-0064
VL - 16
JO - Materials Today Bio
JF - Materials Today Bio
M1 - 100437
ER -