Nerve repair: a conducting-polymer platform with biodegradable fibers for stimulation and guidance of axonal growth (adv. Mater. 43/2009)

Anita F Quigley; Joselito M Razal; Brianna C Thompson; Simon E Moulton; Magdalena Kita; Elizabeth L Kennedy; Graeme M Clark; Gordon G Wallace; Robert M I Kapsa

doi:10.1002/adma.200990160

Nerve repair: a conducting-polymer platform with biodegradable fibers for stimulation and guidance of axonal growth (adv. Mater. 43/2009)

Adv Mater. 2009 Nov 20;21(43). doi: 10.1002/adma.200990160.

Authors

Anita F Quigley^{1

2

3}, Joselito M Razal¹, Brianna C Thompson¹, Simon E Moulton¹, Magdalena Kita^{1

2

3}, Elizabeth L Kennedy³, Graeme M Clark^{1

3}, Gordon G Wallace⁴, Robert M I Kapsa^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science Intelligent Polymer Research Institute University of Wollongong Northfields Avenue Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia).
² Centre for Clinical Neuroscience and Neurology Research Department of Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital 41 Victoria Pde Fitzroy, VIC 3065 (Australia).
³ Bionic Ear Institute 384-388 Albert St East Melbourne, VIC 3002 (Australia).
⁴ ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science Intelligent Polymer Research Institute University of Wollongong Northfields Avenue Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia). gwallace@uow.edu.au.

PMID: 26042954
DOI: 10.1002/adma.200990160

Abstract

Effective functional innervation of medical bionic devices, as well as re-innervation of target tissue in nerve and spinal cord injuries, requires a platform that can stimulate and orientate neural growth. Gordon Wallace and co-workers report on p. 4393 that conducting and nonconducting biodegradable polymers show excellent potential as suitable hybrid substrata for neural regeneration and may form the basis of electrically active conduits designed to accelerate nerve repair.

Keywords: Biomedical applications; Conducting polymers; Tissue engineering.