Bioinspired living nerve conduit with coupled physiological signals enables functional recovery of peripheral nerve

A bioinspired living neural conduit (LNC) with a tri-layer nerve-like design enables unprecedented motor function recovery in rodent long-gap peripheral nerve defects without neuroma formation.

• Why it matters: Long-distance peripheral nerve injury is hard to repair because existing approaches do not recreate the native regenerative microenvironment with coupled physiological signals needed for functional restoration.
• What they did: The team built an LNC combining a hydrogel bilayer, nano-grooved ferroelectric polymer stripes, and living Schwann cells to deliver coupled biomechanical, bioelectrical, and biochemical cues, then tested it in rodent long-gap nerve defect models.
• The result: The LNC increased pro-regenerative factor secretion by 2.2-fold (neurotrophic) and 1.4-fold (angiogenic), promoted intraneural angiogenesis, accelerated axonal outgrowth, and enhanced remyelination, supporting functional recovery without adverse immune responses.

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