Experimental Study on the Compatibility and Degradation of Human Hair Keratin Bridging for Peripheral Nerve Defects

The study investigated the use of human hair keratin (HHK) for bridging peripheral nerve defects in SD rats with a 10 mm sciatic nerve gap. HHK was assembled with a PLGA conduit, and observations were made at 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks post-surgery. By 3 weeks, HHK began degrading, with Schwann cells and nerve fibers growing along it. At 6 weeks, HHK was keratinized, showing many S100 protein-positive cells and NF-positive fibers. By 9 and 12 weeks, further degradation of HHK was observed, with increased and more organized Schwann cells and nerve fibers, and the formation of thick myelin sheaths. The study concluded that HHK had good biocompatibility and a controllable degradation rate, effectively inducing nerve regeneration, making it a potential scaffold material for peripheral nerve tissue engineering.