Research on the characteristics of nerve guidance conduits based on phase separation 3D printing and electromagnetic induction technology

• PCL/MXene nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) with integrated topographical guidance and non-invasive electrical stimulation were fabricated using phase-separation 3D printing. • A non-invasive electrical stimulation (ES) model was established to evaluate the proliferation and differentiation behaviors of PC12 cells under microcurrent exposure. • The micro-grooved nerve conduits effectively guided directional PC12 cell growth. The clinical repair of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) presents high complexity, while neural conduits (NGCs) implantation serves as a potential strategy to promote peripheral nerve regeneration. However, integrating multiple factors such as three-dimensional microscopic porous structures, improved mechanical properties, surface topological features, and electrical stimulation (ES) to regulate the neural cell fate and reconstruct the regeneration microenvironment remains a significant challenge. Here, we successfully fabricated the PCL/MXene NGCs featuring microgroove structures and electrical conductivity using phase separation 3D printing technology. The NGCs demonstrate excellent mechanical properties (Young’s modulus: 12.78 ± 0.38 MPa) and electrical conductivity (5.68 ± 0.48 S/m), meeting the requirements for clinical application. Additionally, we incorporated electromagnetic induction technology to achieve synergistic modulation of directional guidance and non-invasive ES on rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells growth. In vitro cell culture experiments demonstrated that the PCL/MXene NGCs significantly guided the axonal orientation of PC12 with at 54.56 ± 4.84 % axons aligning within 0-30°. This magneto-induced, non-invasive ES further promoted cell proliferation and axonal growth, with the axonal length increased by approximately 31 % compared to the non-ES groups. This conductive grooved the PCL/MXene NGCs, constructed based on phase separation 3D printing and electromagnetic induction technology, holds promise for investigating nerve cell behaviors and offers innovative approaches for treating PNI.