Hydrogen-Releasing Nerve Guides Help Repair Damaged Peripheral Nerves

Authors
Journal
Biomaterials
Year
DOI
10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123752
Study Type
Cell Culture
Outcome
Positive
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
China
Health Condition
Peripheral Nerve Injury
Body System
Nervous System

TL;DR

A multifunctional nerve conduit combining hydrogen release, electrical stimulation, and microgel support enhances nerve regeneration after injury.

Key Finding

A hydrogen-releasing nerve conduit combined with electrical stimulation and injectable gel significantly improved nerve regeneration and functional recovery in an animal nerve injury model by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Summary

When nerves are injured, the body's inflammatory response creates harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species that damage the environment needed for nerve healing. Researchers created a special tube-like scaffold (nerve conduit) coated with magnesium wire that continuously releases hydrogen gas. When exposed to a magnetic field, the magnesium wire also provides gentle electrical stimulation. The scaffold was filled with a gel containing lipoic acid to further support healing. In laboratory and animal tests, this multi-function system reduced harmful molecules, controlled inflammation, improved blood vessel growth, and helped nerve cells recover function in a nerve injury model.

Practical Takeaway

This is early-stage research conducted in laboratory and animal models, not yet tested in humans. While the results suggest hydrogen gas delivery may help create a better healing environment after nerve injury, it is too soon to draw conclusions about potential benefits for human nerve repair. Further development and human studies would be needed before this approach could be considered for clinical use.

Abstract

Following peripheral nerve injury (PNI), the early inflammatory response induces excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in severe damage to the regenerative microenvironment, which poses a huge challenge to the autonomous regeneration of nerves. Exogenous nerve grafts are often needed to assist and guide nerve regeneration. In recent years, nerve conduits (NGCs) with directional structures and favorable bioactivity have made significant progress, but single-function scaffolds still cannot meet the multiple needs of reconstructing an ideal regenerative microenvironment. In this study, a construction strategy for hydrogen-releasing electroactive nerve conduit scaffolds was proposed. The system uses poly(3S-methylmorpholine-2,5-dione-co-ε-caprolactone) [P(MMD-CL)] conduits coated with helically wound metal magnesium wires as a source of gaseous transmitters that continuously release hydrogen. Under the action of an external alternating magnetic field, the magnesium wire coil can form a closed loop and generate weak electrical stimulation (ES). The conduit is further filled with photo-crosslinked lipoic acid-gelatin (Gel-LA) microgels to synergistically regulate cell behavior and assist tissue regeneration. In vitro studies have shown that the system exhibits multiple biological effects, including reducing ROS levels, regulating inflammatory responses, promoting angiogenesis, and maintaining mitochondrial function, reflecting the potential roles of H2, ES, and Mg2+ in regulating the regenerative microenvironment. In vivo, the establishment of a 15 mm sciatic nerve defect model further verified the significant efficacy of the H2 delivery system in promoting nerve morphology and functional recovery. In summary, this study constructed a multifunctional nerve conduit scaffold with gaseous transmitter delivery, electrical activity regulation, and injectable microgel filling, which provides a new therapeutic idea for improving the post-injury microenvironment and promoting peripheral nerve regeneration, and provides an experimental basis for gas molecule-guided nerve repair strategies.