Effects of electroactive materials on nerve cell behaviors and applications in peripheral nerve repair

Abstract

Peripheral nerve damage can lead to loss of function or even complete disability, which brings about a huge burden on both the patient and society. Regulating nerve cell behavior and promoting nerve injury repair by bionic construction of a biological electric field to simulate natural nerve electrophysiological characteristics have attracted great attention, and many studies have shown that electroactive materials have a good repair effect on peripheral nerves. Here, we summarize the electroactive materials commonly used in peripheral nerve repair and their characteristics, especially for the design and application of a biodegradable non-invasive spontaneous electrical system. Besides, based on the fact that electroactive materials can provide electrical conductivity or a power generation performance, the specific role of electroactive materials in peripheral nerve repair was summed up from the following three aspects: cell behavior regulation, signaling pathway regulation and immune microenvironment regulation. This review provides a summary of the current research on the use of electroactive materials in peripheral nerve repair, which may help provide a more effective strategy for peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and allow more patients to benefit from artificial nerve catheter treatment.