4D Printed Nerve Conduit with In Situ Neurogenic Guidance for Nerve Regeneration

Abstract

Nerve repair poses a significant challenge in the field of tissue regeneration. As a bioengineered therapeutic method, nerve conduits have been developed to address damaged nerve repair. However, despite their remarkable potential, it is still challenging to encompass complex physiologically microenvironmental cues (both biophysical and biochemical factors) to synergistically regulate stem cell differentiation within the implanted nerve conduits, especially in a facile manner. In this study, a neurogenic nerve conduit with self-actuated ability has been developed by in situ immobilization of neurogenic factors onto printed architectures with aligned microgrooves. One objective was to facilitate self-entubulation, ultimately enhancing nerve repairs. Our results demonstrated that the integration of topographical and in situ biological cues could accurately mimic native microenvironments, leading to a significant improvement in neural alignment and enhanced neural differentiation within the conduit. This innovative approach offers a revolutionary method for fabricating multifunctional nerve conduits, capable of modulating neural regeneration efficiently. It has the potential to accelerate the functional recovery of injured neural tissues, providing a promising avenue for advancing nerve repair therapies.

Impact statement

The burgeoning field of 4D printing technology has opened new avenues for fabricating intelligent structures and devices capable of dynamic transformations over time. This study demonstrates the development of a novel neurogenic nerve conduit with self-actuated ability by combining photolithography-stereolithography-tandem printing and in situ immobilization of neurogenic factors to achieve self-entubulation for nerve repair. As a revolutionary method, our combinational strategy integrating topographical and in situ biological cues into the printed conduits could significantly improve neural alignment and enhance neural differentiation.