Application of PGCL/AP conductive composite scaffold combined with electrical stimulation in neural tissue engineering

Nerve regeneration and axonal growth can be significantly enhanced by electrical stimulation (ES) using conductive polymers. But in addition to ES, nerve cell function and how they react to substrate conductivity are also essential factors in nerve repair. As a result, ES, in conjunction with appropriate materials (such as tissue scaffolds), has been used to treat nerve damage and has demonstrated significant promise for peripheral nerve regeneration. In this work, electrospinning was used to create conductive composite scaffolds made of polyglycolic acid@polycaprolactone/aniline pentamer (PGCL/AP). We later verified that PC12 cells cultured on these scaffolds exhibited improved migration, proliferation, and vitality upon electrical stimulation. Furthermore, In the established 10-mm peripheral nerve injury model, the PAP + ES group achieved outcomes comparable to the autograft group in the assessment of functional and morphological recovery, encompassing SFI, myelination rate, and gastrocnemius muscle evaluation.