Tailoring the elasticity of nerve implants for regulating peripheral nerve regeneration

Numerous studies have conducted in-depth research on the biological and chemical properties of tissue-engineered neural graft (TENG) on peripheral nerve regeneration, while the physical properties of the graft also display a significant impact on the regeneration of the injured nerve. Among them, the elasticity properties of TENG show a significant impact on the adhesion, proliferation, migration and bio-functionality of nerve cells in peripheral nerve regeneration. This review summarizes the latest research progress on elastic biomaterials for peripheral nervous system (PNS), including categories of elastic biomaterials, preparation methods and the effect of elasticity on the growth behavior of nerve cells, etc. In addition, the effect of the elastic substrate on the elasticity of the cell itself is also briefly described. Finally, we analyze and discuss the underlying mechanism by which elastic substrate affects nerve cell behavior.