The CCL2/CCR2 axis is critical to recruiting macrophages into acellular nerve allograft bridging a nerve gap to promote angiogenesis and regeneration.

The CCL2/CCR2 axis is critical to recruiting macrophages into acellular nerve allograft bridging a nerve gap to promote angiogenesis and regeneration. Exp Neurol. 2020 May 22;:113363 Authors: Pan D, Acevedo-Cintron JA, Sayanagi J, Snyder-Warwick AK, Mackinnon SE, Wood MD Abstract Acellular nerve allografts (ANAs) are increasingly used to repair nerve gaps following injuries. However, these nerve scaffolds have yet to surpass the regenerative capabilities of cellular nerve autografts; improved understanding of their regenerative mechanisms could improve design. Due to their acellular nature, both angiogenesis and diverse cell recruitment is necessary to repopulate these scaffolds to promote functional regeneration. We determined the contribution of angiogenesis to initial cellular repopulation of ANAs used to repair nerve gaps, as well as the signaling that drives a significant portion of this angiogenesis. Wild-type (WT) mice with nerve gaps repaired using ANAs that were treated with an inhibitor of VEGF receptor signaling severely impaired angiogenesis within ANAs, as well as hampered cell repopulation and axon extension into ANAs. Similarly, systemic depletion of hematogenous-derived macrophages, but not neutrophils, in these mice models severely impeded angiogenesis and subsequent nerve regeneration across ANAs suggesting hematogenous-derived macrophages were major contributors to angiogenesis within ANAs. This finding was reinfor...
Source: Experimental Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Exp Neurol Source Type: research