Chitosan-Collagen Composite Scaffolds for Growth Direction Guidance of PC12 Axons

Abstract In this study, nerve conduits of chitosan and collagen composites with biocompatibility and biodegradability were fabricated. The effects of material composition and surface morphology on the axonal growth and directionality of rat epinephric pheochromocytoma PC12 were investigated. The cells were separated by a PDMS structure to simulate nerve injury, and the growth of axons of PC12 cells was observed under the separation of large gaps. At the same time, mitochondria extracted from osteosarcoma cybrid cells (C2-GFP) were added to the culture to investigate the effect of healthy mitochondria on axon differentiation and growth. The experimental results showed that the chitosan-collagen composite film can promote the growth of PC12 axons more effectively than the pure chitosan film. Cell culture results at different groove widths also showed that smaller grooves resulted in more axon numbers and longer axon lengths. Nerve injury simulation experiments showed that the nerve repair could be almost completed after 12 days of culture.