Perspectives on Carbon Nanotube-Based Scaffolds in Nerve Tissue Engineering

Abstract

To improve the health and quality of life of patients suffering from neural degeneration diseases or brain and spinal cord injuries, much research has been dedicated to the repairing and regeneration of neural tissues. Although allogenic grafts have no supply limitation, they often cause undesirable immune responses. Thus, autologous grafts are usually used to treat neural defects. However, the short life of nerves and a mismatch of nerve cable dimension between the donor graft and the receptor nerve limit its clinical applications. Nerve tissue engineering has emerged as a highly promising alternative strategy to neural therapy, aimed at rebuilding the lesioned circuits of the central and peripheral nervous systems, while minimizing body’s immune responses with engineered nerves.