Hydrogel Helps Repair Damaged Nerves, Says Study

Researchers have developed a stretchable conductive hydrogel that could someday be used to repair damaged nerves.

Stretchable conductive hydrogel could help repair damaged nerves, says a study published in the journal ACS Nano. Injured nerves include peripheral nerve has been completely severed such as a deep cut from an accident.

A common strategy, called autologous nerve transplantation, involves removing a section of the peripheral nerve from elsewhere in the body and sewing it onto the ends of the severed one.

‘Conducting hydrogels are water-swollen, biocompatible polymers, which can transmit bioelectrical signals to repair injured nerves.’
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However, the surgery does not always restore function, and multiple follow-up surgeries are sometimes needed.

The research team from Nanjing University in China wanted to develop an effective, fast-acting treatment that could replace autologous nerve transplantation.

For this purpose, they decided to explore conducting hydrogels -- water-swollen, biocompatible polymers that can transmit bioelectrical signals.

The researchers prepared a tough but stretchable conductive hydrogel containing polyaniline and polyacrylamide.

The crosslinked polymer had a 3D microporous network that, once implanted, allowed nerve cells to enter and adhere, helping restore lost tissue.

Symptoms & Signs For Nerve Damage
Our nervous system is involved in numerous functions such as sensing touch and pain, breathing, digestion, limb movement, passing urine, and emptying bowels. Imagine what would happen if nerves get damaged due to disease.

The team showed that the material could conduct bioelectrical signals through a damaged sciatic nerve removed from a toad. Then, they implanted the hydrogel into rats with sciatic nerve injuries.

Two weeks later, the rats' nerves recovered their bioelectrical properties, and their walking improved compared with untreated rats.

"Because the electricity-conducting properties of the material improve with irradiation by near-infrared light, which can penetrate tissues, it could be possible to further enhance nerve conduction and recovery in this way," the study authors wrote.

Source-IANS