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3D Coaxially Printing rGO Aerogel-Based Biocompatible Fiber for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

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Abstract

In this study, we developed a hollow aerogel fiber out of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), with a hierarchically ordered microstructure through a three-dimensional coaxial printing methodology, that enabled a physicochemically cooperative construction process at multiscale. The rGO hollow aerogel fiber was modified by depositing polycaprolactone (PCL) and melatonin (Mel). Attributable to its elaborately designed hierarchical structure and arched alignment of two-dimensional micro-sheets, the rGO/PCL/Mel hybrid aerogel bio-fiber demonstrated remarkable structural robustness in maintaining ordered pathways and high porosity (98.5% ± 0.24%), which facilitated nerve growth in a complex survival environment in vivo. Furthermore, the excellent combination of properties such as electrical conductivity, biocompatibility, and mechanical properties (elastic modulus: 7.06 ± 0.81 MPa to 26.58 ± 4.99 MPa) led to highly efficient regeneration of well-ordered PN tissue. Systematic evaluations of nerve regeneration and muscle function recovery in a Sprague–Dawley rat model with a long nerve defect (15 mm) validated the virtually identical performance of the rGO/PCL/Mel fiber compared to autogenous nerve graft. This study suggests a promising approach to the clinical repair of long PN defects through the combined regulation of rational multiscale structure design and indispensable chemical modification of rGO aerogel-based functional nerve regeneration fibers.

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The data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (No. 11925204), the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (Nos. lzujbky-2022-ey02, lzujbky-2023-eyt03), the Science and Technology Program of Gansu (NO.23ZDKA0001), the Fok Ying-Tong Education Foundation for Young Teachers in the Higher Education Institutions of China (No. 171107), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82202718), Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. L212050), the Military Medical Science and Technology Youth Development Program (No. 21QNPY112), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2019M664007 and 2021T140793).

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Author notes

  1. Jingxiang Zhang, Zhongyang Liu, Jing Wang, Yang Zhang have contributed equally to the work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Mechanics On Disaster and Environment in Western China and the Ministry of Education of China (Lanzhou University), Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Jingxiang Zhang, Jiaqi Dong, Jizeng Wang & Qiangqiang Zhang

  2. College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Jingxiang Zhang, Jiaqi Dong, Jizeng Wang & Qiangqiang Zhang

  3. Department of Orthopedics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China

    Zhongyang Liu, Jianpeng Gao, Licheng Zhang & Peifu Tang

  4. Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, Spinal Tumor Center, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, China

    Jing Wang

  5. Department of Nephrology, The Second Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China

    Yang Zhang

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  1. Jingxiang Zhang
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Zhang, J., Liu, Z., Wang, J. et al. 3D Coaxially Printing rGO Aerogel-Based Biocompatible Fiber for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration. Adv. Fiber Mater. 6, 713–726 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-023-00352-x

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