Frontiers in Chemistry
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2024
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IF 3.8
Sun Jingxuan,He Lina,An Qi,Ye Xu,Ma Jinjie,Yan Jing,Xie Xiaoqi,Sun Xiangyu,Niu Yumei,Cao Wenxin
Introduction: Facial nerve injury significantly impacts both the physical and psychological] wellbeing of patients. Despite advancements, there are still limitations associated with autografts transplantation. Consequently, there is an urgent need for effective artificial grafts to address these limitations and repair injuries. Recent years have witnessed the recognition of the beneficial effects of chitosan (CS) and graphene in the realm of nerve repair. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) hold great promise due to their high proliferative and multi-directional differentiation capabilities.Methods: In this study, Graphene/CS (G/CST) composite tubes were synthesized and their physical, chemical and biological properties were evaluated, then DPSCs were employed as seed cells and G/CST as a scaffold to investigate their combined effect on promoting facial nerve injury repair.Results and Disscussion: The experimental results indicate that G/CST possesses favorable physical and chemical properties, along with good cyto-compatibility. making it suitable for repairing facial nerve transection injuries. Furthermore, the synergistic application of G/CST and DPSCs significantly enhanced the repair process for a 10 mm facial nerve defect in rabbits, highlighting the efficacy of graphene as a reinforcement material and DPSCs as a functional material in facial nerve injury repair. This approach offers an effective treatment strategy and introduces a novel concept for clinically managing facial nerve injuries.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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组织工程
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干细胞研究
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神经科学
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PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR HISTOLOGY
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2025
·Vol. 56
·期 1
·1-14
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IF 2.2
Ma Jinjie,Yan Jing,Su Nan,Qiu Zhengjun,Hou Huailong,Sun Jingxuan,Sun Xiangyu,Niu Yumei,He Lina
Facial nerve injuries lead to significant functional impairments and psychological distress for affected patients. Effective repair of these injuries remains a challenge. For longer nerve gaps, the regeneration outcomes after nerve grafting remain suboptimal due to limited sources and postoperative immune responses. Tissue engineering techniques are conventional methods for repairing peripheral nerve defects. This study explores the potential of dental pulp cells (DPCs) combined with stem cell factor (SCF) to enhance neurogenic differentiation and improve facial nerve regeneration. DPCs were isolated from rabbit dental pulp, the pluripotency of the cells was identified from three perspectives: osteogenic differentiation, adipogenic differentiation, and neurogenic differentiation. In vivo experiments involved injuring the buccal branch of the facial nerve in New Zealand white rabbits, followed by treatment with PBS, DPCs, SCF, or SCF + DPCs. Functional recovery was assessed over 12 weeks, with SCF + DPCs demonstrating the most significant improvement in whisker movement scores. Histomorphological evaluations revealed enhanced myelinated fiber density and axonal morphology in the SCF + DPCs group. RNA sequencing identified 608 differentially expressed genes, with enrichment in the TGF-β signaling pathway. In in vitro experiments, we demonstrated from multiple angles using Western blot analysis, Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) analysis, and immunofluorescence staining that SCF can promote the neurogenic differentiation of DPCs through the TGF-β1 signaling pathway. Our findings indicate that the combination of SCF and DPCs offers a promising strategy for enhancing facial nerve repair.
研究领域:
神经科学
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组织工程
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再生医学
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Frontiers in Pharmacology
·
2022
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IF 5.988
Binbin Hu,Hanbo Zhang,Menglu Xu,Lei Li,Man Wu,Susu Zhang,Xuejun Liu,Weidong Xia,Ke Xu,Jian Xiao,Hongyu Zhang,Liyan Ni
Although studies have shown that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) can activate autophagy and promote peripheral nerve repair, the role and the molecular mechanism of action of bFGF in the facial nerve are not clear. In this study, a thermosensitive in situ forming poloxamer hydrogel was used as a vehicle to deliver bFGF for treating facial nerve injury (FNI) in the rat model. Using H&E and Masson’s staining, we found that bFGF hydrogel can promote the functional recovery and regeneration of the facial nerve. Furthermore, studies on the mechanism showed that bFGF can promote FNI recovery by promoting autophagy and inhibiting apoptosis. Additionally, this study demonstrated that the role of hydrogel binding bFGF in nerve repair was mediated through the activation of the PAK1 signaling pathway in Schwann cells (SCs). These results indicated that poloxamer thermosensitive hydrogel loaded with bFGF can significantly restore the morphology and function of the injured facial nerve by promoting autophagy and inhibiting apoptosis by activating the PAK1 pathway, which can provide a promising strategy for FNI recovery.
研究领域:
神经科学
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生物医学工程
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药理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Bioactive Materials
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2025
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IF 20.3
Long Lin,Xiaojing Yuan,Lili Ma,Liang Xu,Wenyue Xie,Ying Jiang,Jidong Xiu,Hongwei Xu,Zhuoling Tian,Jianan Qu,Chunhui Zhao,Zuoying Yuan,Huilin Liu,Jianyong Huang,Xing Wang
Local electrical stimulation (LES) is a widely used clinical method to treat peripheral nerve injury. However, existing plate electrodes (PE) usually suffer from low electronic transport efficiency, whereas acupuncture electrical stimulation may cause damage to normal tissues. There is an urgent need to develop an innovative LES technique with efficient electronic transport, minimal tissue injury and enhanced biosafety. Here, we present a new stretchable transcutaneous electrical stimulation system (STESS) that integrates dissolvable conductive microneedles (DCMN) for optimal skin penetration and electronic transport, along with snake-like electrodes that offer superior flexibility, which can effectively penetrate the stratum corneum, enabling deep tissue electrostimulation with minimal injury. In vitro studies and 3D finite-element analysis demonstrate that the DCMN-based electrotherapy significantly enhances subcutaneous nerve stimulation compared to the conventional PE-based technique. By diminishing the electrical resistance of the stratum corneum, the DCMN-based electrotherapy has shown remarkable in vivo therapeutic efficacy in a rat facial nerve crush injury model. This will pave the way for innovative physiotherapeutic methodologies in the realm of neurological rehabilitation.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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神经科学
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康复医学
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微加工技术
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生物电子学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE-POLYMER EDITION
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2025
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IF 3.6
Mengdie Liu,Jian Wang,Yan Lv,Qiang Sun,Bin Guo
Facial nerve injury (FNI) causes devastating sequelae, including impaired eyelid closure, dysphagia, and permanent facial asymmetry, leading to long-term functional deficits and profound psychosocial impacts that pose significant rehabilitation challenges. To address this, neural regenerative scaffolds represent a promising therapeutic alternative. This study engineered poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) electrospun membranes with parallel topographical cues (Align) and functionalized miR-451a-incorporated scaffolds (miR-451a mimics@PLLA) via electrostatic spinning, aiming to decipher how topographical cues steer neurogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and their crosstalk with microRNA regulation. We demonstrate that parallel topography substantially upregulates neurulation-associated biomarkers (Tuj-1, S100, NeuroD1, Map2, and Nestin) in BMSCs, while miR-451a synergistically enhances this differentiation efficacy. The developed miR-451a mimics@PLLA scaffold effectively promotes BMSC neurogenic commitment and functional nerve regeneration, offering a novel biomimetic strategy to overcome FNI complications. This work pioneers synergistic integration of topological engineering and miRNA delivery for next-generation neural repair scaffolds.
研究领域:
神经科学
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生物材料
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组织工程
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干细胞研究
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RNA生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Biomaterials Science
·
2021
·Vol. 10
·期 3
·808-818
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IF 6.843
Na Tang,Xueyi Wang,Jin Zhu,Kang Sun,Shiting Li,Ke Tao
It is crucial and clinically relevant to clarify the homing efficiency and retention of stem cells in different implanting strategies of cell therapy for various injuries. However, the need for a tool for investigating the mechanisms is still unmet. We herein introduce multi-modal BaGdF5:Yb,Tm nanoparticles as a nanoprobe to label adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and detect the homing behavior with a micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging technique. The migration of cells injected locally or intravenously, with or without a chemokine, CXCL 12, was compared. A higher homing efficiency of ADSCs was observed in both intravenously injected groups, in contrast to the low efficiency of cell retention in local implantation. Meanwhile, CXCL 12 promoted the homing of ADSCs, especially in the intravenous route. Nonetheless, the administration of CXCL 12 showed its therapeutic efficacy, whereas intravenous injection of ADSCs almost did not. Our work provided a tool for in vivo imaging of the behavior of implanted cells in preclinical studies of cell therapy, and more importantly, implied that the parameters for implanting stem cells in clinical operation should be carefully considered.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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干细胞研究
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神经科学
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医学影像
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HISTOCHEMISTRY
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2020
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IF 2.172
Li Wu,Dan Han,Jie Jiang,Xiaojie Xie,Xunran Zhao,Tengfei Ke,Wen Zhao,Liu Liu,Wei Zhao
After the facial nerve axotomy (FNA), the distal end of the axon would gradually decay and disappear. Accumulated evidence shows that transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) reveals potential in the treatment of nervous system diseases or injuries. This study is aimed at investigating the therapeutic effects of co-transplantation of BMSCs and monocytes in FNA. We found that co-culture significantly elevated the CD4+/CD8+ ratio and CD4+ CD25+ T cell proportion compared with monocytes transplantation, and enhanced the differentiation of BMSCs into neurons. After the cell transplantation, the lowest apoptosis in the facial nerve nucleus was found in the co-transplantation group 2 (BMSCs:monocytes= 1:30). Moreover, the lowest expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the highest expression levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines were observed in the co-transplantation group 2 (BMSCs: monocytes= 1:30). The highest expression levels of protein in the JAK/STAT6 pathway and the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis were found in the co-transplantation group 2. BMSC/monocyte co-transplantation significantly improves the microenvironment in the facial nerve nucleus in FNA rats; therefore these findings suggest that it could promote the anti-/pro-inflammatory balance shift towards the anti-inflammatory microenvironment, alleviating survival conditions for BMSCs, regulating BMSC the chemotaxis homing, differentiation, and the section of BMSCs, and finally reducing the neuronal apoptosis. These findings might provide essential evidence for the in-hospital treatment of FNA with co-transplantation of BMSCs and monocytes.
研究领域:
神经科学
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干细胞生物学
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再生医学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
InfoMat
·
2025
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IF 22.3
Bin Zhu,Yao Zhou,Chong Wu,Furui Xiao,Pengyu Chen,Qianqiang Tang,Min Zhang,Zhan Chen,Qiqi Huang,Bincheng Liu,Xiaodong Luo,Caihua Long,Haiyan Chen,Qiufeng Li,Mengyan Yang,Shiwei Du,Yaokang Zhang,Xuechang Zhou
Facial nerve injury arising from diseases or clinical interventions can cause significant physiological and psychological harm. Continuous monitoring of facial muscle electrophysiology can mitigate these risks by informing surgical procedures and guiding postoperative rehabilitation. However, conventional electrodes are predominantly invasive and fabricated from mechanically stiff metals that mismatch soft tissues, often leading to secondary injury and discomfort. Here, we develop an ultrasoft eutectogel and employ it as a non-invasive electrode material for a surface electromyography (sEMG) monitoring array. The eutectogel is synthesized by random copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and the zwitterionic monomer 3-[N,N-dimethyl-[2-(2-methylprop-2-enoyloxy)ethyl]ammonio]propane-1-sulfonate (SBMA) in a deep eutectic solvent (DES), yielding an electrode that integrates ultra-low modulus, strong adhesion, ionic conductivity, and environmental tolerance. The ultra-low modulus and adhesiveness facilitate conformal, dynamic coupling with epidermal tissues, providing an ideal material platform for non-invasive high-quality acquisition of physiological electrical signals, including facial nerve-related activity. We further validate the feasibility of predicting facial nerve functional integrity using this platform. The eutectogel and the flexible multi-electrode array provide a promising strategy for clinical protection and monitoring of facial nerve function.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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神经工程
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可穿戴传感器
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电生理学
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软材料
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nature Communications
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-14
·
IF 14.7
Sun Pengcheng,Li Chaochao,Yang Can,Sun Mengchun,Hou Hanqing,Guan Yanjun,Chen Jinger,Liu Shangbin,Chen Kuntao,Ma Yuan,Huang Yunxiang,Li Xiangling,Wang Huachun,Wang Liu,Chen Shengfeng,Cheng Haofeng,Xiong Wei,Sheng Xing,Zhang Milin,Peng Jiang,Wang Shirong,Wang Yu,Yin Lan
Optoelectronic neural interfaces can leverage the photovoltaic effect to convert light into electrical current, inducing charge redistribution and enabling nerve stimulation. This method offers a non-genetic and remote approach for neuromodulation. Developing biodegradable and efficient optoelectronic neural interfaces is important for achieving transdermal stimulation while minimizing infection risks associated with device retrieval, thereby maximizing therapeutic outcomes. We propose a biodegradable, flexible, and miniaturized silicon-based neural interface capable of transdermal optoelectronic stimulation for neural modulation and nerve regeneration. Enhancing the device interface with thin-film molybdenum significantly improves the efficacy of neural stimulation. Our study demonstrates successful activation of the sciatic nerve in rodents and the facial nerve in rabbits. Moreover, transdermal optoelectronic stimulation accelerates the functional recovery of injured facial nerves.
研究领域:
神经科学
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生物医学工程
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材料科学
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再生医学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
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