Benzeneboronic acid-modified hyaluronic acid hydrogel enhances the differentiation of dorsal root ganglion stem cells in a three-dimensional environment

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) remain challenging to treat due to limited regeneration capacity and the lack of effective therapeutic scaffolds to support nerve repair. This study aims to develop and evaluate a 3-aminophenylboronic acid-modified hyaluronic acid (HAB) hydrogel as a 3D scaffold to enhance Dorsal root ganglion-derived stem cells (DRGSCs) attachment, migration, and neuronal differentiation for peripheral nerve regeneration. The HAB hydrogel was synthesized through an amidation reaction and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR). DRGSCs were cultured in HAB hydrogel, and neuronal differentiation was assessed through immunofluorescence staining, PCR, and multi-electrode array (MEA) recordings. Cytotoxicity, proliferation, and in vivo biocompatibility were evaluated through live/dead staining, CCK-8 assays, and subcutaneous implantation in rats. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to explore gene expression profiles. Our results shown that DRGSCs cultured in HAB hydrogel exhibited significantly improved attachment (78.5 % ± 3.2 % vs. 45.3 % ± 2.8 %, p  < 0.05) and migration speeds (21.4 μm/h vs. 12.9 μm/h, p  < 0.05) compared to 2D cultures. Neuronal differentiation efficiency, as indicated by Tuj1-positive cells, was also higher (72.6 % ± 4.1 % vs. 42.8 % ± 3.9 %, p  < 0.01). RNA sequencing identified 990 differentially expressed genes (627 upregulated, 363 downregulated), with pathways involved in synaptic vesicle cycling, glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses significantly enriched ( p  < 0.05). Validation revealed that the expression trends of Gnao1 and Grm7 in the plastic petri dish and HAB hydrogel groups were consistent with the RNA sequencing results. In vivo, the hydrogel showed excellent biocompatibility, with reduced TNF-α and IL-1β expression over a 28-day degradation cycle ( p  < 0.01). The HAB hydrogel provides a supportive 3D microenvironment that enhances DRGSCs differentiation and electrophysiological activity, highlighting its potential as a promising scaffold for peripheral nerve regeneration and neuroregenerative medicine.