Development of Graphene-Based 'Artificial Neural Conduit'... Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] An artificial nerve conduit effective in regenerating peripheral nerves that do not regenerate on their own has been developed by domestic researchers. The research team expects that this nerve conduit can be utilized as a tissue engineering platform capable of regenerating various electrically active tissues such as the brain and muscles, in addition to peripheral nerves.

Professor Jaeyoung Lee of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and Professor Heeseok Yang of Dankook University jointly announced on the 1st that they have developed a graphene-based conductive hydrogel nerve conduit effective in regenerating damaged peripheral nerves. The research results were published in the international journal Advanced Functional Materials.

The research team developed an artificial nerve conduit that does not aggregate inside the body and maintains electrical conductivity. They manufactured a gelatin-based hydrogel containing graphene oxide, which has low conductivity but disperses well. Then, to improve conductivity, they conducted a reduction process to ensure that the graphene oxide was evenly dispersed within the hydrogel.

To verify efficacy in vivo, the research team induced a 10 mm injury in the sciatic nerve of experimental white rats and implanted the reduced graphene oxide-containing conductive hydrogel-based nerve conduit between the damaged nerves. After 4 and 8 weeks post-implantation, they confirmed that the nerves had regenerated significantly both structurally and functionally. The nerve regeneration ability was comparable to that of surgical methods such as autografts currently used for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Professor Jaeyoung Lee said, "The multifunctional nerve conduit system developed in this study is expected to become a tissue engineering platform applicable not only to peripheral nerve injuries but also to the regeneration of various electrically active tissues such as the brain and muscles."

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