UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

An emulsion electrospun nanofibrous scaffold loaded with glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor for nerve regeneration

Gregory, Holly N; Johnson, Louis DV; Phillips, James B; (2025) An emulsion electrospun nanofibrous scaffold loaded with glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor for nerve regeneration. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology , 13 , Article 1567654. 10.3389/fcell.2025.1567654. Green open access

[thumbnail of fcell-1-1567654.pdf]
Preview
PDF
fcell-1-1567654.pdf - Published Version

Download (28MB) | Preview

Abstract

Introduction: Damage to peripheral nerves is common in major trauma cases, and current options for surgical repair are often not sufficient to promote satisfactory recovery of sensory and motor function. In this study we describe the development of a biomaterial scaffold with aligned nanofibrous topography and encapsulated neurotrophic factor, designed to direct and enhance axonal regeneration and so effectuate faster return of function. Methods: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was loaded into aligned polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibres using emulsion electrospinning, and the biomaterial was characterised alongside random and aligned PCL scaffolds without growth factor. Results and discussion: This fabrication route produced fine and uniform nanofibres with sustained release of GDNF over at least four weeks, and the aligned topography was able to orientate the growth of Schwann cells. Finally, the GDNF-loaded aligned nanofibrous scaffold significantly enhanced and directed the outgrowth of primary rat neurons cultured on its surface, demonstrating its promise as a pro-regenerative biomaterial for the surgical repair of nerve injury.

Type: Article
Title: An emulsion electrospun nanofibrous scaffold loaded with glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor for nerve regeneration
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1567654
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2025.1567654
Language: English
Additional information: © 2025 Gregory, Johnson and Phillips. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Keywords: electrospinning, nanofibres, nerve regeneration, growth factor, alignment, GDNF, PCL, Schwann cells
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > UCL School of Pharmacy
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > UCL School of Pharmacy > Pharmacology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10207611
Downloads since deposit
0Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item