Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: New Advancements in Technology

Peripheral nerve injuries can occur in a variety of settings, and is a common issue that many doctors encounter. Peripheral nerves, responsible for sending signals between your brain and the rest of your body, can be damaged more easily than commonly recognized. While nerves can regenerate at the rate of 1 mm/day, this can also be affected by other factors such as age and the extent of the injury. Due to nerves spanning throughout the body, it can take months to years before regaining function in the necessary body part. 

The EMG (electromyography) test measures functioning of the nerves, utilizing electrical signals to determine the rate of the nerves firing. 

Peripheral nerve injury. Generated by ChatGPT.

Recently, a PNI chip has been developed to help regenerate the nerves. Axons serve as a platform to send electrical signals to other cells, within the nerve cell. Nanofibers have been found to be integrated into the nerve chip to increase axonal growth. It has also been demonstrated that higher fiber densities corresponded with more nerve recovery in areas where the neuron’s axon was severed. 

Specifically, the nanofibers in the PNI chip are able to provide guidance for cell outgrowth. Topographic cues have been shown to guide cell behavior. 

M1, is a mitochondrial fusion transporter. Mitochondria are essential for cellular homeostasis and energy, highlighting its importance in nerve regeneration and neurodegenerative diseases. M1 and its effects on axonal regeneration are also being explored in the context of PNI. 

References

Lee, D., Tran, H. Q., Dudley, A. T., Yang, K., Yan, Z., & Xie, J. (2024). Advancing nerve regeneration: Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) chip empowering high-speed biomaterial and drug screening. Chemical Engineering Journal, 486, 150210.