ENGINEERING PERIPHERAL NERVE USING PARALLEL MICROFIBRE
SCAFFOLDS AND STEM CELLS
Dr. John Haycock, j.w.haycock@shef.ac.uk,
Kroto Research Institute, University of Sheffield
Dr Steve Rimmer, s.rimmer@sheffield.ac.uk
Chemistry, University of Sheffield
The human body has the potential to repair peripheral nerve tissue following acute
trauma or injury. However, repair is frequently not achieved or is incomplete due to
a lack of physical and chemical guidance between the proximal and distal nerve
terminals. Nerve guidance conduits can crudely redirect growth by entubulating the
severed nerve terminals, and early clinical trials show some promise. The aims of
this project will be to advance nerve conduit design by designing parallel microchannels made from degradable polymers that initially support the organised growth
of Schwann cells in 3D, but hydrolyse slowly following implantation. Schwann cells
are specialised cells that normally produce myelin, a protective layer around the
nerve fibres. But when nerves are injured Schwann cells respond dynamically by
shedding their myelin and producing growth factors. It is these Schwann-derived
growth factors that enable the nerve fibres to regrow – from the proximal to the distal
stumps. While the local delivery of Schwan cells can improve nerve recovery
obtaining an autologous source is highly impractical, and so we are isolating
adipose-derived stem cells and differentiating them in to Schwann cells for
establishing 3D cultures within microfibre conduits. The techniques and academic
nature of this project therefore spans a breadth of subjects including primary and
stem cell culture, bioreactors, polymer synthesis and fabrication, biochemical
detection (ELISAs) and 3D fluorescent imaging by confocal microscopy.