Promoting Nerve Repair Using Neural Tissue Engineering

SLU ID 15-032 | Transferring Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on a Hydrogel for Neural Tissue Engineering Applications

Background

Significant progress has been made in describing the interactions between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nerve cells, which has implications in the field of neural tissue engineering for promoting nerve repair. CNTs have excellent electrical conductivity, strong mechanical properties, and morphological similarity to neurites. Hydrogels are ideal substrates for interfacing CNTs since they closely emulate soft tissues. Previous methods required a sacrificial layer that cannot be used in vitro or in vivo because it is biologically toxic.

Overview

Researchers at Saint Louis University have developed a method to pattern single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a hydrogel in a single step without using biologically toxic sacrificial materials.

Benefits

The potential benefits of this technology include:

• Increasing ability to pattern single wall carbon nanotubes on a hydrogel

• Increasing control over growth of CNTs on a quartz substrate

• Increasing alignment of CNTs on a quartz substrate

• Increasing ability to apply CNTs in biological studies

• Increasing ability to mimic physical and mechanical properties of soft tissues

• Minimizing the time it takes to fabricate materials

• Increasing control over hydrogel parameters (e.g., mesh size, swelling ration, modulus, etc.)

• Increasing control over density of CNTs

• Increasing control over the length of CNTs

Applications

The potential applications of this technology include:

• Peripheral nerve regeneration

• Spinal cord regeneration

• Patterning for tissue engineering applications

• Electro-conductive coatings (e.g., neural interfaces)

Opportunity

Saint Louis University is seeking a partner to further develop and commercialize this technology.