A novel strategy for peripheral nerve regeneration through a bionanotechnological “Hybrid platform”.

Our group focuses on the development of nanobiotechnological strategies to promote nerve regeneration after a lesion in the peripheral nervous system. To this end, a rat model of Wallerian degeneration induced by a 30 second sciatic nerve crush is employed. In this model, we analyze the analgesic and/or neuroregenerative effects of the systemic transplant of a “hybrid platform” composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanocapsules (NC) loaded with magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) for the transfection and magneto targeting of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) to the injury site. Both PLGA-NC and MNP were thoroughly characterized by DLS, TEM, VSM, TG. Experiments with the “hybrid platform” (NC:PEI:DNA) using a mock plasmid loaded with MNPs and labeled with a fluorochrome to detect its recruitment in the ipsilateral nerve demonstrated that the “hybrid platform” does not hinder the effects of native BMMCs and is also optimized by magneto targeting. In the present work we analyzed the effect of the “hybrid platform” NC:PEI:ARNm of native BDNF or NGF on behavioral and functional experiments, such as Von Frey and acetone tests as well as gait analysis. The results obtained show a clear difference between BDNF and NGF analgesic effects. Some promising results encourage us to further explore this approach as a potential therapeutic strategy and a tool to better understand the mechanism involved in nerve regeneration.