Premium
Magnetic Nanoparticles for Efficient Delivery of Growth Factors: Stimulation of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
Author(s) -
Giannaccini Martina,
Calatayud M. Pilar,
Poggetti Andrea,
Corbianco Silvia,
Novelli Michela,
Paoli Melania,
Battistini Pietro,
Castagna Maura,
Dente Luciana,
Parchi Paolo,
Lisanti Michele,
Cavallini Gabriella,
Junquera Concepción,
Goya Gerardo F.,
Raffa Vittoria
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced healthcare materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.288
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 2192-2659
pISSN - 2192-2640
DOI - 10.1002/adhm.201601429
Subject(s) - regeneration (biology) , nerve guidance conduit , materials science , biomedical engineering , peripheral nerve , vascular endothelial growth factor , magnetic nanoparticles , stimulation , nanoparticle , nanotechnology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , anatomy , cancer research , neuroscience , biology , vegf receptors
The only clinically approved alternative to autografts for treating large peripheral nerve injuries is the use of synthetic nerve guidance conduits (NGCs), which provide physical guidance to the regenerating stump and limit scar tissue infiltration at the injury site. Several lines of evidence suggest that a potential future strategy is to combine NGCs with cellular or molecular therapies to deliver growth factors that sustain the regeneration process. However, growth factors are expensive and have a very short half‐life; thus, the combination approach has not been successful. In the present paper, we proposed the immobilization of growth factors (GFs) on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for the time‐ and space‐controlled release of GFs inside the NGC. We tested the particles in a rat model of a peripheral nerve lesion. Our results revealed that the injection of a cocktail of MNPs functionalized with nerve growth factor (NGF) and with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) strongly accelerate the regeneration process and the recovery of motor function compared to that obtained using the free factors. Additionally, we found that injecting MNPs in the NGC is safe and does not impair the regeneration process, and the MNPs remain in the conduit for weeks.