The Effect of Human Hair Keratin Hydrogel on Early Cellular Response to Sciatic Nerve Injury in a Rat Model

    May 2013 in “ Biomaterials ”
    Lauren A. Pace, Johannes F. Plate, Thomas L. Smith, Mark Van Dyke
    TLDR Human hair keratin hydrogel may aid nerve repair better than traditional methods.
    The study investigated the effects of a keratin-based hydrogel (KOS) derived from human hair on early cellular responses in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury. The KOS hydrogel was compared to Matrigel and saline as conduit fillers. Results indicated that the KOS hydrogel facilitated earlier migration of dedifferentiated Schwann cells, faster Schwann cell dedifferentiation, and myelin debris clearance, while reducing macrophage infiltration during Wallerian degeneration. These findings suggested that the KOS hydrogel provided a supportive matrix for nerve regeneration, potentially offering an alternative to traditional autografts for peripheral nerve repair.
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