Conductive PEDOT:PSS/chitosan-modified PLGA nerve guide conduits with electrical stimulation for enhanced peripheral...

Peripheral nerve regeneration (PNR) remains a major challenge in clinical medicine. Recent research has focused on developing biomedical polymeric materials to facilitate PNR. Although considerable progress has been achieved, current materials still suffer from limitations in electrical conductivity, biological functionality, and multimodal synergistic performance. In this study, we developed a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nerve guide conduit (NGC) modified with a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/chitosan (CS) coating and combined it with exogenous electrical stimulation (ES) to enhance PNR in rats. The incorporation of CS into the PEDOT:PSS coating synergistically improved both surface bioactivity and electrical conductivity, thereby promoting cell adhesion and creating a more favorable microenvironment for nerve regeneration. The PLGA NGC provided essential mechanical support and precisely guided electrical signals, while ES activated the regenerative potential of nerve cells. This multimodal synergistic therapeutic strategy markedly enhanced axonal regeneration and functional nerve recovery, offering theoretical and practical insights for the development of next-generation multifunctional materials for PNR.