{"id":1772,"date":"2015-09-19T04:40:53","date_gmt":"2015-09-19T04:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/?p=262191"},"modified":"2015-09-19T09:33:05","modified_gmt":"2015-09-19T09:33:05","slug":"3d-printed-silicone-guide-with-chemical-cues-helps-regenerate-complex-nerves-after-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/2015\/09\/19\/3d-printed-silicone-guide-with-chemical-cues-helps-regenerate-complex-nerves-after-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"3D-printed silicone guide with chemical cues helps regenerate complex nerves after injury"},"content":{"rendered":"
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3-D scans of a nerve from different angles are used to create a custom regeneration guide for complex nerves (credit: University of Minnesota)<\/p><\/div>\n

A national team of researchers used a combination of 3-D imaging and 3-D printing techniques to create a custom silicone guide implanted with biochemical cues to help nerve regeneration after an injury.<\/p>\n

Nerve regeneration is a complex process, which is why regrowth of nerves after injury or disease is very rare and often permanent, according to the Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n

As a test, the researchers used a 3-D scanner to reverse-engineer the structure of a rat\u2019s sciatic nerve. They then used a specialized, custom-built 3-D printer to print a regeneration guide containing 3D-printed chemical cues to promote both motor and sensory nerve regeneration within the same structure. The guide was then implanted into the rat by surgically grafting it to the cut ends of the nerve. Within about 10 to 12 weeks, the rat\u2019s ability to walk again was improved.<\/p>\n

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A 3D-printed complex nerve-regeneration pathway implanted in a rat helped to improve walking in 10 to 12 weeks after implantation (credit: University of Minnesota)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cSomeday we hope that we could have a 3D scanner and printer right at the hospital to create custom nerve guides right on site to restore nerve function,\u201d said University of Minnesota mechanical engineering professor Michael McAlpine<\/a>, the study\u2019s lead researcher.<\/p>\n

Conventional nerve guidance channels are typically fabricated around cylindrical substrates, so the resulting guidance devices are limited to linear structures. This is is the first time a study has shown the creation of a custom guide for regrowth of a complex nerve like the Y-shaped sciatic nerve, which has both sensory and motor branches.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe exciting next step would be to implant these guides in humans rather than rats,\u201d McAlpine said. For cases where a patient’s nerve is unavailable for scanning, McAlpine said there could someday be a \u201clibrary\u201d of scanned nerves from other people or cadavers that hospitals could use to create closely matched 3D-printed guides for patients.<\/p>\n

The study by researchers from the University of Minnesota<\/a>, Virginia Tech<\/a>, University of Maryland<\/a>, Princeton University<\/a>, and Johns Hopkins University<\/a> was published Thursday (Sept. 17) in the journal\u00a0Advanced Functional Materials.<\/em><\/p>\n