Physical processing for decellularized nerve xenograft in peripheral nerve regeneration

Ming-Wei Hsu; Szu-Han Chen; Wan-Ling Tseng; Kuo-Shu Hung; Tzu-Chun Chung; Sheng-Che Lin; Jahyun Koo; Yuan-Yu Hsueh

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1217067

Physical processing for decellularized nerve xenograft in peripheral nerve regeneration

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 May 30:11:1217067. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1217067. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Ming-Wei Hsu¹, Szu-Han Chen^{1

2

3}, Wan-Ling Tseng⁴, Kuo-Shu Hung¹, Tzu-Chun Chung⁵, Sheng-Che Lin⁶, Jahyun Koo⁷, Yuan-Yu Hsueh^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
² Center of Cell Therapy, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
³ International Research Center for Wound Repair and Regeneration, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁴ Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tainan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Orthopedic Surgery, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁶ Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁷ School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

In severe or complex cases of peripheral nerve injuries, autologous nerve grafts are the gold standard yielding promising results, but limited availability and donor site morbidity are some of its disadvantages. Although biological or synthetic substitutes are commonly used, clinical outcomes are inconsistent. Biomimetic alternatives derived from allogenic or xenogenic sources offer an attractive off-the-shelf supply, and the key to successful peripheral nerve regeneration focuses on an effective decellularization process. In addition to chemical and enzymatic decellularization protocols, physical processes might offer identical efficiency. In this comprehensive minireview, we summarize recent advances in the physical methods for decellularized nerve xenograft, focusing on the effects of cellular debris clearance and stability of the native architecture of a xenograft. Furthermore, we compare and summarize the advantages and disadvantages, indicating the future challenges and opportunities in developing multidisciplinary processes for decellularized nerve xenograft.

Keywords: decellularized nerve xenograft; freeze-thaw; immersion and agitation; perfusion; peripheral nerve regeneration; physical processing; sonication; supercritical fluids.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This study was supported in part by grants from the National Science and Technology Council (111-2311-B-006-001 and 111-2923-B-006-001-MY2 to Y-YH; 111-2314-B-006-095 to S-HC) and National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH-11109014 to Y-YH) in Taiwan.