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Tusnim J, Kutuzov P, Grasman JM. In Vitro Models for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2401605. [PMID: 39324286 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202401605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) resulting in lesions is highly prevalent clinically, but current therapeutic approaches fail to provide satisfactory outcomes in many patients. While peripheral nerves have intrinsic regenerative capacity, the regenerative capabilities of peripheral nerves are often insufficient to restore full functionality. This highlights an unmet need for developing more effective strategies to repair damaged peripheral nerves and improve regenerative success. Consequently, researchers are actively exploring a variety of therapeutic strategies, encompassing the local delivery of trophic factors or bioactive molecules, the design of advanced biomaterials that interact with regenerating axons, and augmentation with nerve guidance conduits or complex prostheses. However, clinical translation of these technologies remains limited, emphasizing the need for continued research on peripheral nerve regeneration modalities that can enhance functional restoration. Experimental models that accurately recapitulate key aspects of peripheral nerve injury and repair biology can accelerate therapeutic development by enabling systematic testing of new techniques. Advancing regenerative therapies for PNI requires bridging the gap between basic science discoveries and clinical application. This review discusses different in vitro models of peripheral nerve injury and repair, including their advantages, limitations, and potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarin Tusnim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Peter Kutuzov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Jonathan M Grasman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
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Sun J, Zeng Q, Wu Z, Li Z, Gao Q, Liao Z, Li H, Ling C, Chen C, Wang H, Zhang B. Enhancing intraneural revascularization following peripheral nerve injury through hypoxic Schwann-cell-derived exosomes: an insight into endothelial glycolysis. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:283. [PMID: 38789980 PMCID: PMC11127458 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02536-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endothelial cell (EC)-driven intraneural revascularization (INRV) and Schwann cells-derived exosomes (SCs-Exos) both play crucial roles in peripheral nerve injury (PNI). However, the interplay between them remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate the effects and underlying mechanisms of SCs-Exos on INRV following PNI. RESULTS We found that GW4869 inhibited INRV, as well as that normoxic SCs-Exos (N-SCs-Exos) exhibited significant pro-INRV effects in vivo and in vitro that were potentiated by hypoxic SCs-Exos (H-SCs-Exos). Upregulation of glycolysis emerged as a pivotal factor for INRV after PNI, as evidenced by the observation that 3PO administration, a glycolytic inhibitor, inhibited the INRV process in vivo and in vitro. H-SCs-Exos more significantly enhanced extracellular acidification rate/oxygen consumption rate ratio, lactate production, and glycolytic gene expression while simultaneously suppressing acetyl-CoA production and pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit alpha (PDH-E1α) expression than N-SCs-Exos both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we determined that H-SCs-Exos were more enriched with miR-21-5p than N-SCs-Exos. Knockdown of miR-21-5p significantly attenuated the pro-glycolysis and pro-INRV effects of H-SCs-Exos. Mechanistically, miR-21-5p orchestrated EC metabolism in favor of glycolysis by targeting von Hippel-Lindau/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and PDH-E1α, thereby enhancing hypoxia-inducible factor-1α-mediated glycolysis and inhibiting PDH-E1α-mediated oxidative phosphorylation. CONCLUSION This study unveiled a novel intrinsic mechanism of pro-INRV after PNI, providing a promising therapeutic target for post-injury peripheral nerve regeneration and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, PR China
| | - Qiuhua Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510000, China
| | - Zhimin Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, PR China
| | - Zhangyu Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Qun Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University People's Hospital, 11th Xizhi Men South St, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Zhi Liao
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, PR China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangzhou Panyu Central Hospital, No.8, Fuyu East Road, Qiaonan Street, Panyu District, Guangzhou, 511400, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Cong Ling
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, PR China
| | - Chuan Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, PR China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, PR China.
| | - Baoyu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, PR China
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Kuang R, Zhang Y, Wu G, Zhu Z, Xu S, Liu X, Xu Y, Luo Y. Long Non-coding RNAs Influence Aging Process of Sciatic Nerves in SD Rats. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2024; 27:2140-2150. [PMID: 37691192 PMCID: PMC11348477 DOI: 10.2174/1386207326666230907115800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) changes in the sciatic nerve (SN) in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats during aging. METHODS Eighteen healthy SD rats were selected at the age of 1 month (1M) and 24 months (24M) and SNs were collected. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were established according to differentially expressed genes (DEGs). RESULT As the length of lncRNAs increased, its proportion to the total number of lncRNAs decreased. A total of 4079 DElncRNAs were identified in Con vs. 24M. GO analysis was primarily clustered in nerve and lipid metabolism, extracellular matrix, and vascularization-related fields. There were 17 nodes in the PPI network of the target genes of up-regulating genes including Itgb2, Lox, Col11a1, Wnt5a, Kras, etc. Using quantitative RT-PCR, microarray sequencing accuracy was validated. There were 169 nodes constructing the PPI network of down-regulated target genes, mainly including Col1a1, Hmgcs1, Hmgcr. CeRNA interaction networks were constructed. CONCLUSION Lipid metabolism, angiogenesis, and ECM fields might play an important role in the senescence process in SNs. Col3a1, Serpinh1, Hmgcr, and Fdps could be candidates for nerve aging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Kuang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Guanggeng Wu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhaowei Zhu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shuqia Xu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiangxia Liu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Yangbin Xu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yunxiang Luo
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
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Choinière W, Petit È, Monfette V, Pelletier S, Godbout-Lavoie C, Lauzon MA. Dynamic three-dimensional coculture model: The future of tissue engineering applied to the peripheral nervous system. J Tissue Eng 2024; 15:20417314241265916. [PMID: 39139455 PMCID: PMC11320398 DOI: 10.1177/20417314241265916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic injuries to the peripheral nervous system (PNI) can lead to severe consequences such as paralysis. Unfortunately, current treatments rarely allow for satisfactory functional recovery. The high healthcare costs associated with PNS injuries, worker disability, and low patient satisfaction press for alternative solutions that surpass current standards. For the treatment of injuries with a deficit of less than 30 mm to bridge, the use of synthetic nerve conduits (NGC) is favored. However, to develop such promising therapeutic strategies, in vitro models that more faithfully mimic nerve physiology are needed. The absence of a clinically scaled model with essential elements such as a three-dimension environment and dynamic coculture has hindered progress in this field. The presented research focuses on the development of an in vitro coculture model of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) involving the use of functional biomaterial which microstructure replicates nerve topography. Initially, the behavior of neuron-derived cell lines (N) and Schwann cells (SC) in contact with a short section of biomaterial (5 mm) was studied. Subsequent investigations, using fluorescent markers and survival assays, demonstrated the synergistic effects of coculture. These optimized parameters were then applied to longer biomaterials (30 mm), equivalent to clinically used NGC. The results obtained demonstrated the possibility of maintaining an extended coculture of SC and N over a 7-day period on a clinically scaled biomaterial, observing some functionality. In the long term, the knowledge gained from this work will contribute to a better understanding of the PNS regeneration process and promote the development of future therapeutic approaches while reducing reliance on animal experimentation. This model can be used for drug screening and adapted for personalized medicine trials. Ultimately, this work fills a critical gap in current research, providing a transformative approach to study and advance treatments for PNS injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Choinière
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Ève Petit
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Monfette
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel Pelletier
- Department of Electrical and Informatics Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Catherine Godbout-Lavoie
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Marc-Antoine Lauzon
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Research Center on Aging, CIUSS de l’ESTRIE-CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- The Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Engineering, and Applications, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Sergi PN. Some Mechanical Constraints to the Biomimicry with Peripheral Nerves. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:544. [PMID: 37999185 PMCID: PMC10669299 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8070544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel high technology devices built to restore impaired peripheral nerves should be biomimetic in both their structure and in the biomolecular environment created around regenerating axons. Nevertheless, the structural biomimicry with peripheral nerves should follow some basic constraints due to their complex mechanical behaviour. However, it is not currently clear how these constraints could be defined. As a consequence, in this work, an explicit, deterministic, and physical-based framework was proposed to describe some mechanical constraints needed to mimic the peripheral nerve behaviour in extension. More specifically, a novel framework was proposed to investigate whether the similarity of the stress/strain curve was enough to replicate the natural nerve behaviour. An original series of computational optimizing procedures was then introduced to further investigate the role of the tangent modulus and of the rate of change of the tangent modulus with strain in better defining the structural biomimicry with peripheral nerves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier Nicola Sergi
- Translational Neural Engineering Area, The Biorobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56127 Pisa, Italy
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Beter M, Abdollahzadeh A, Pulkkinen HH, Huang H, Orsenigo F, Magnusson PU, Ylä-Herttuala S, Tohka J, Laakkonen JP. SproutAngio: an open-source bioimage informatics tool for quantitative analysis of sprouting angiogenesis and lumen space. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7279. [PMID: 37142637 PMCID: PMC10160097 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33090-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional image analyses are required to improve the understanding of the regulation of blood vessel formation and heterogeneity. Currently, quantitation of 3D endothelial structures or vessel branches is often based on 2D projections of the images losing their volumetric information. Here, we developed SproutAngio, a Python-based open-source tool, for fully automated 3D segmentation and analysis of endothelial lumen space and sprout morphology. To test the SproutAngio, we produced a publicly available in vitro fibrin bead assay dataset with a gradually increasing VEGF-A concentration ( https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7240927 ). We demonstrate that our automated segmentation and sprout morphology analysis, including sprout number, length, and nuclei number, outperform the widely used ImageJ plugin. We also show that SproutAngio allows a more detailed and automated analysis of the mouse retinal vasculature in comparison to the commonly used radial expansion measurement. In addition, we provide two novel methods for automated analysis of endothelial lumen space: (1) width measurement from tip, stalk and root segments of the sprouts and (2) paired nuclei distance analysis. We show that these automated methods provided important additional information on the endothelial cell organization in the sprouts. The pipelines and source code of SproutAngio are publicly available ( https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7381732 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Beter
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Neulaniementie 2, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - A Abdollahzadeh
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Neulaniementie 2, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - H H Pulkkinen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Neulaniementie 2, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - H Huang
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - F Orsenigo
- Vascular Biology Unit, IFOM ETS - The AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - P U Magnusson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - S Ylä-Herttuala
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Neulaniementie 2, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
- Heart Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- Gene Therapy Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - J Tohka
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Neulaniementie 2, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - J P Laakkonen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Neulaniementie 2, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
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