MINI REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Vaccines and Molecular Therapeutics
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1622508
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancing Tissue Repair: Immunomodulatory Bioactive Hydrogels and Immune Cell InteractionsView all 3 articles
Research Progress on Composite Nerve Guidance Conduits with Immune-Regulatory Functions
Provisionally accepted
- 1Nantong University, Nantong, China
- 2Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) has emerged as a critical clinical challenge due to its high disability rate and socioeconomic burden. Traditional autologous nerve grafting, limited by donor shortages and risks of secondary surgeries, has driven tissueengineered nerve conduits to become a research hotspot. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in immunomodulatory nerve conduits, focusing on the biological properties, degradation mechanisms, and pivotal roles of natural materials (e.g., collagen, chitosan, silk fibroin) and synthetic materials (e.g., poly (lactic-coglycolic acid) (PLGA), polylactic acid (PLA), and polycaprolactone (PCL) in regulating macrophage polarization. The potential of composite materials to synergistically optimize mechanical performance and bioactivity of nerve conduits is also discussed. Furthermore, this review envisions future trends in nerve conduits, including the integration of 4D printing, smart-responsive systems, and personalized designs to overcome current therapeutic limitations. By integrating multidisciplinary perspectives from materials science, immunology, and regenerative medicine, this review aims to provide innovative theoretical frameworks and technical pathways for efficiently repairing PNI, advancing clinical translation.
Keywords: peripheral nerve injury, immunomodulatory, Biomaterials, Nerve grafts, conduit
Received: 03 May 2025; Accepted: 26 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Sun, Yang, Fan, Li and Ling. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jiaying Li, Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, China
Jue Ling, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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