Plant-Based Nerve Conduit with IGF-1 LR3 Boosts Sciatic Nerve Repair

Peripheral nerve injuries, often resulting from trauma or disease, lead to significant functional deficits and chronic pain, posing a major challenge in regenerative medicine. Current clinical approaches, such as autografts, have limitations including donor site morbidity and limited availability, while synthetic conduits often lack the biological cues needed for robust regeneration. This study addresses the critical need for advanced biomaterial-based nerve conduits that can actively promote and guide nerve repair, specifically focusing on enhancing sciatic nerve regeneration.

The Alstroemeria-GelMA-IGF-1 LR3 conduit demonstrated significantly superior outcomes in promoting nerve regeneration compared to control groups (empty conduit or GelMA-only). Histological analysis revealed a 2.8-fold increase in myelinated axon count (p<0.001) and a 52% greater nerve fiber density in the treated group's regenerated nerve tissue. Furthermore, the conduit significantly reduced muscle atrophy in the innervated hindlimb, showing 35% less muscle mass loss compared to controls. > The most impactful finding was a 3.5-fold improvement in functional recovery, as quantified by the sciatic functional index (SFI), in rats receiving the IGF-1 LR3 loaded conduit, indicating substantial restoration of motor function. Electrophysiological assessments confirmed enhanced nerve function, with the experimental group exhibiting a 2.1-fold higher nerve conduction velocity and a 75% increase in compound muscle action potential amplitude (p<0.001) compared to untreated controls, underscoring robust axonal regrowth and myelination.