Artificially produced nerve conduits are promising alternatives to autologous nerve grafts in the treatment of damaged nerves. In this study, the physiochemical properties of chitosan/poly-ε-caprolactone nerve conduits will be improved by using the chitosan crosslinker genipin.

Artificial nerve conduits are used for peripheral nerve damage, but still have some disadvantages compared to autologous cells, such as lack of neurotrophic factors. In the presented study, a nerve conduit made of chitosan, collagen and Schwann cells is used to repair damage to the sciatic nerve of mice, thus providing a simpler alternative to the complex autologous nerve transplantation.