In Vitro Evaluation of Electroactive GelMA/PCL/Graphene Oxide Scaffolds for Peripheral Nerve Repair

This study developed electroconductive GelMA/PCL/graphene oxide (GO) nanofibrous scaffolds and performed a preliminary in vitro evaluation for peripheral nerve repair, focusing on optimizing the GO concentration. GO (0.1-1.0 wt%) was incorporated into GelMA/PCL via electrospinning. The 1.0 wt% GO scaffold exhibited reduced fiber diameters (200-300 nm) and enhanced electrical conductivity (8.4 × 10^-4 mS/cm). All scaffolds were superhydrophilic (contact angle ≈ 0°). Tensile strength and fracture strain increased up to 0.5 wt% GO but decreased at 1.0 wt% GO to levels not significantly different from those of the control. PC12 cells demonstrated robust adhesion, proliferation, and viability on all scaffolds. Under electrical stimulation (100 mV/cm), the 1.0 wt% GO scaffold promoted qualitative axonal elongation and directional alignment compared with scaffolds lacking GO or subjected to no electrical stimulation. Scaffold-immobilized GO showed no cytotoxicity in CCK-8 assays, indicating a favorable preliminary safety profile. These results highlight the potential of GelMA/PCL/1.0 wt% GO scaffolds as a promising platform for advanced nerve guidance conduits; however, further validation using primary neurons and in vivo models is required.