Adhesive nonfibrotic bioelectronic interfaces on diverse peripheral nerves for long-term functional neuromodulation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Materials Science

Background:

• Bioelectronic devices on peripheral nerves hold promise for treating diseases but face limitations due to foreign body reactions and fibrous capsule formation.
• This capsule formation at the device-nerve interface impedes device efficacy and longevity in vivo.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a bioadhesive strategy for creating nonfibrotic bioelectronic interfaces on peripheral nerves.
• To evaluate the long-term performance and biocompatibility of these interfaces in vivo.

Main Methods:

• A novel bioadhesive approach was employed to establish interfaces on various peripheral nerves (occipital, vagus, deep peroneal, sciatic, tibial, common peroneal).
• The strategy focused on inhibiting immune cell infiltration to prevent fibrous capsule formation.
• The efficacy of the bioelectronic device with nonfibrotic interfaces was assessed in a spontaneously hypertensive rat model for blood pressure regulation and in long-term implantation studies for neuromodulation.

Main Results:

• The bioadhesive strategy successfully created nonfibrotic bioelectronic interfaces on diverse peripheral nerves for up to 12 weeks.
• The device demonstrated sustained blood pressure regulation in a hypertensive rat model for 4 weeks.
• Minimal accumulation of macrophages, smooth muscle actin, and collagen was observed at the interfaces after 12 weeks, confirming biocompatibility and lack of fibrosis.

Conclusions:

• The developed bioadhesive strategy effectively prevents fibrosis at the bioelectronic device-peripheral nerve interface.
• This approach enables long-lasting neuromodulation and therapeutic applications of bioelectronic devices without compromising nerve function.
• The findings support the potential of nonfibrotic bioelectronic interfaces for advanced neural interfacing and regenerative medicine.