Engineering Oriented Scaffolds for Directing Neuronal Regeneration

Following nervous system injuries, such as peripheral or spinal cord injuries, severed nerves must regenerate to reinnervate tissues and restore lost-functionality. In many peripheral nerve injuries surgical intervention is required to bridge the gaps created and facilitate regrowth. The gold standard for peripheral nerve repair remains end-to-end suturing and nerve grafting, yet, these still present unmet challenges and limitation including misalignment of regenerating axons. Following spinal cord injuries currently there are no therapies capable of complete nerve restoration. Tissue engineering strategies include the design of structured tissue-like platforms to support growth and facilitate reconstructions of damaged tissues for both the peripheral and the central nervous systems. In the last two decades efforts to increase accuracy of regeneration through engineering growth-and-alignment promoting platforms have emerged as potential alternatives for grafting techniques, demonstrating advantageous effects in vitro and in vivo. This chapter reviews tissue engineering techniques and advanced fabrication strategies for oriented scaffolds and nerve repair conduits developed to aid nerve repair.