• Silk fibroin nanofiber diameter and alignment Optimal fiber alignment was achieved at a rotation speed of 26.8 m/s. • DRG sensory neuronal culture on fibroin fibers • Rat sciatic nerve regeneration through implant 6 months post-implantation • Functional recovery in rat hind limb Motion capture analyses were performed pre-surgery, 3 months post-surgery, and 6 months post-surgery * Fibroin functionalized with NGF and CNTF ** Fibroin functionalized with NT-3 Functionalized silk fibroin-based nanofiber guidance conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration Kayla Belanger , a Tony Dinis, a Bernard Devauchelle, b Christophe Egles a a Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Rue Personne de Roberval, Compiègne 60200, France b Institut Faire Face, Avenue Rene Laennec, Salouël 80480, France [email protected] A severe injury to a peripheral nerve leads to degeneration and loss of sensory and motor function. The autograft has long been considered the gold standard for nerve repair, but presents numerous drawbacks . 1 Nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) made from biomaterials show increasing promise as effective substitutes to the autograft. Silk fibroin has proven to be a favorable biomaterial for tissue engineering applications due to its biocompatibility, its biodegradability, its robust mechanical properties, and its availability for chemical modification. 2 In this study, NGCs composed of nanoscale aligned fibers achieved by electrospinning and functionalized with growth factors are tested both in vitro and in vivo for neuron regrowth and guidance efficiency in the peripheral nervous system of the rat. Introduction 1. • Silk fibroin purification and biofunctionalization Fibroin is extracted from Bombyx mori cocoons. Aqueous fibroin is functionalized with growth factors * . • Silk fibroin nanofiber production and alignment Aqueous fibroin (8%) solution is electrospun using a high • Dorsal root ganglion sensory neuronal cell culture • Implantation of functionalized fibroin in rat sciatic nerve Aligned fiber mats are rolled with small • Analysis of functional recovery Rats are subject to motion capture analysis in order to evaluate functional recovery. Reflective markers are placed on several specific anatomical points on each side of the rat’s body. The rat is made to run across a wooden plank while reflective cameras capture the hind limbs’ mobility patterns. * NGF (nerve growth factor), CNTF (Ciliary neurotrophic factor), NT-3 (Neurotrophin 3) Materials and Methods 2. Results 3. • DRG neuronal cultures show that fibroin is biocompatible and the aligned fibers support neuron adhesion and uniaxial axon regeneration. • Histological analyses of the implant after 6 months in vivo show successful neuron regeneration; cross sections of the implant reveal axon regrowth through the channels and axon myelination by Schwann cells. • Functional recovery was not optimal. 6 months may not be a sufficient timeframe for motor neurons to reinnervate muscle tissue, therefore we have begun a new in vivo study that will last 8 months. Conclusions 4. 1. Belanger, K.; Dinis, T.; Taourirt, Sami.; Vidal, Guillaume.; Kaplan, D.; Egles, C. Macromolecular Bioscience 2016, DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201500367. 2. Dinis, T.; Elia, R.; Vidal, G.; Dermigny, Q.; Denoeud, C.; Kaplan, D.; Egles, C.; Marin, F. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 2015, 41, 44. Cited Literature 5. Figure A: Rotation speed: 1 m/s Fiber diameter: 378 ± 190 nm Scale bar: 5 μm Figure B: Rotation speed: 26.8 m/s Fiber diameter: 294 ± 150 nm Scale bar: 5 μm A B Dissociated sensory neurons (5 days) stained with βIII-tubulin on a glass coverslip (Figure A, scale bar: 75 μm), random * functionalized fibroin fibers (Figure B, scale bar: 50 μm), and aligned ** functionalized fibroin fibers (Figure C, scale bar: 100 μm). B D E A A hematoxylin and eosin stained cross section of a native rat sciatic nerve (Figure A, scale bar: 150 μm) and one of its fascicles (Figure B, scale bar: 20 μm). A blood vessel is circled in Figure B. B C D A hematoxylin and eosin stained cross section a the fibroin fiber implant (Figure C, scale bar: 150 μm) and one of its channels (Figure D, scale bar: 20 μm) after 6 months in vivo. Arrows in Figure D point to an axon, myelin, and a Schwann cell nucleus; A blood vessel is circled. SEM images of DRG cultured on aligned fibroin fibers show the favorable interaction and adherence (Figure D, scale bar: 10 μm; Figure E, scale bar: 2 μm) of the neuron extensions to the fibroin fibers. A B The conduit is trimmed to 5 mm and hydrated. It is then sutured between two severed sections of a rat sciatic nerve. Aligned fiber mats are rolled with small Teflon-coated rods to achieve a multi- channel tube conduit that mimics the morphology of a native nerve. Sensory neurons are dissociated from fetal Sprague Dawley dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and cultured on the nanofibrous silk fibroin materials functionalized with growth factors. Aqueous fibroin (8%) solution is electrospun using a high speed rotating drum collector for unidirectional alignment of nanofibers. A high voltage is applied to the polymer solution creating an electric field between the syringe needle and the collector. The droplet leaving the needle is stretched creating a solid fiber as the solvent evaporates. C A