IntroductionPeripheral nerves are frequently affected by lesions caused by traumatic or iatrogenic damages, resulting in loss of motor and sensory function, crucial in orthopedic outcomes and with a significant impact on patients’ quality of life. Many strategies have been proposed over years to repair nerve injuries with substance loss, to achieve musculoskeletal reinnervation and functional recovery. Allograft have been tested as an alternative to the gold standard, the autograft technique, but nerves from donors frequently cause immunogenic response. For this reason, several studies are focusing to find the best way to decellularize nerves preserving either the extracellular matrix, either the basal lamina, as the key elements used by Schwann cells and axons during the regenerative process.MethodsThis study focuses on a novel decellularization protocol for porcine nerves, aimed at reducing immunogenicity while preserving essential elements like the extracellular matrix and basal lamina, vital for nerve regeneration. To investigate the efficacy of the decellularization protocol to remove immunogenic cellular components of the nerve tissue and to preserve the basal lamina and extracellular matrix, morphological analysis was performed through Masson’s Trichrome staining, immunofluorescence, high resolution light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Decellularized porcine nerve graft were then employed in vivo to repair a rat median nerve lesion. Morphological analysis was also used to study the ability of the porcine decellularized graft to support the nerve regeneration.Results and DiscussionThe decellularization method was effective in preparing porcine superficial peroneal nerves for grafting as evidenced by the removal of immunogenic components and preservation of the ECM. Morphological analysis demonstrated that four weeks after injury, regenerating fibers colonized the graft suggesting a promising use to repair severe nerve lesions. The idea of using a porcine nerve graft arises from a translational perspective. This approach offers a promising direction in the orthopedic field for nerve repair, especially in severe cases where conventional methods are limited.

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探索猪神经移植的创新去细胞化方案：周围神经修复的转化方法

简介周围神经经常受到外伤或医源性损伤引起的损伤的影响，导致运动和感觉功能丧失，这对骨科结果至关重要，并对患者的生活质量产生重大影响。多年来，人们提出了许多策略来修复神经损伤并导致物质损失，以实现肌肉骨骼的神经支配和功能恢复。同种异体移植已作为金标准（自体移植技术）的替代方法进行了测试，但来自捐赠者的神经经常引起免疫原性反应。因此，几项研究致力于寻找神经脱细胞的最佳方法，保留细胞外基质或基底层，作为施万细胞和轴突在再生过程中使用的关键元素。方法本研究重点关注一种新颖的脱细胞方案针对猪神经，旨在降低免疫原性，同时保留对神经再生至关重要的细胞外基质和基底层等基本元素。为了研究脱细胞方案去除神经组织的免疫原性细胞成分并保留基底层和细胞外基质的功效，通过马森三色染色、免疫荧光、高分辨率光学显微镜和透射电子显微镜进行形态学分析。然后使用脱细胞猪神经移植物在体内修复大鼠正中神经损伤。形态学分析也被用来研究猪脱细胞移植物支持神经再生的能力。结果与讨论脱细胞方法在制备用于移植的猪腓浅神经方面是有效的，这通过去除免疫原性成分和保存ECM来证明。形态学分析表明，损伤后四个星期，再生纤维在移植物上定植，这表明它有望用于修复严重的神经损伤。使用猪神经移植物的想法源于平移的角度。这种方法为骨科神经修复领域提供了一个有希望的方向，特别是在传统方法受到限制的严重病例中。