Photochemical tissue bonding as a growth factor sealant and structural reinforcer for the improved regeneration and repair of peripheral nerve and spinal cord

Abstract

Photochemical tissue bonding (PTB) is an emerging technique used to create an immediate water-tight seal between membranes. While its properties of collagen cross-linking activated under visible light, have yet to be completely understood, much can be described about its applications for repair and structural reinforcement. PTB sealing was tested in conjunction with standard suture repair and treatment with the growth factor leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) to show that PTB sealing of the sutured wound alone was sufficient to significantly improve functional recovery in rats after peripheral nerve transection. The addition of LIF to potentially improve proximal nerve regeneration did not have a significant effect on functional recovery. Histological findings in all three groups were similar. PTB was also used to reinforce structurally weak membranes, such as the rat spinal cord, imparting the ability to hold sutures and be deftly manipulated. These and other data show that PTB is a powerful tool for cellular, specifically nerve, recovery and regeneration, as well as a useful architectural reinforcer.