Download Peripheral Nerve Recovery_wrksht

GROUP NAME:
Team Members:
Peripheral Nerve
Recovery
Your team is the world’s premier group of tissue engineers called in to duty to
repair the injury of the President. While bowling in the White House, the
president slips and falls, resulting in the 12lb bowling ball landing square on his
forearm. The president has lost feeling and sensation in his right hand due to the
bowling ball crushing his hand and damaging the median nerve.
You task is to use tissue engineering to develop a construct that can
be used to regrow the nerve and fix his hand. Choose from each of the
categories to create your method.
cells
Tissue
Engineering
Scaffold
Signals
Name of your Technique:_________________________________________
Each option has pros and cons so choose accordingly.
Describe what components in the scaffold were used and what signals (if any):
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Why did you choose this specific Combination?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
PTEI ACTIVITY
SIGNALS
Description
Pros
Cons
Laminin
A protein found in
most organs; induces
migration and
adhesion; enhances
response to growth
factors
Substrate for Schwann
cells
Easy to obtain
Inhibits neuron growth
when used with netrin;
at high concentrations,
it can impede nerve
growth and cause scar
tissue
Hard to isolate and
obtain
Gelatin
Gelatinous substrate
for Schwann cells
Cheap
Not as effective as
other substrates, such
as PCL
SCAFFOLD
Description
Pros
Cons
Collagen
Natural substrate
Less effective than PCL
PCL
Gelatinous substrate
for Schwann cells
Thin strings of nylon
can be used as
substrate through 3d
gels
Nerve Extra Cellular
Matrix (no cells) from
pigs
Cheap, very
biocompatible
Very effective
Easy to obtain
Non-biodegradable
Contains natural
signals and structures (
proteins) to promote
nerve growth
Mild immune response
(possible)
Pros
Cons
Easily diffuses, allowing
directional growth of
axons
Essential in nerve
regeneration
Cannot be used with
laminin
Fibronectin
Nylon
Decellularized
Nerve
GROWTH
Description
FACTORS/STIMULANTS
A protein that aids in
Netrin
axon growth
Neural growth factor
Brain-derived
neutrophic factor
(BDNF)
A molecule that
promotes growth of
nerve cells
A molecule that
promotes growth of
nerve cells
Biocompatible
Promotes Nerve
Growth
Expensive
Hard to effectively
incorporate into
conduit
Difficult to obtain
PTEI ACTIVITY
Fibroblast growth
factors
Promotes Schwann cell Promotes Nerve repair, May cause swelling
growth (not necessarily Improves blood supply
nerve growth)
to nerve