Decellularized umbilical cord wrapped with conductive hydrogel for peripheral nerve regeneration

Nerve guidance conduits have demonstrated great promise for the restoration of injured peripheral nerves in recent decades. Associated research has focused on improving the structure and function of these conduits as well as simplifying the manufacturing processes. Herein, a novel decellularized umbilical cord (DUC) wrapped with conductive hydrogel is presented for peripheral nerve regeneration, which is prepared by integrating the DUC matrix into a methacrylate gelatin (GelMA)/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene (MXene) composite hollow conduit (named DUC–MXene–GelMA conduit). The obtained DUC–MXene–GelMA conduit displays superior mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility. Particularly, ascribed to the introduction of DUC and MXene, the DUC–MXene–GelMA conduit exhibits satisfactory biological effects in promoting neuron growth and Schwann cell proliferation and migration. Through in vivo experiments using a rat sciatic nerve injury model, the beneficial effects of the DUC–MXene–GelMA conduit on axonal regeneration and motor function recovery are demonstrated. These findings indicate that the DUC–MXene–GelMA conduit may be a promising candidate for peripheral nerve injury repair.