Light-traceable, folate-releasing nerve scaffold to help repair damaged peripheral nerves
Photoacoustic and epigenetic nerve scaffold for nerve regeneration
This project creates a biodegradable nerve guide that slowly releases vitamin B9 and can be seen with light-based imaging to support repair of large peripheral nerve injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State University, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (University Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11312713 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I had a large peripheral nerve injury, researchers are designing a biodegradable tube that would bridge the gap, slowly release folate (vitamin B9) to encourage nerve cells to grow, and let doctors watch healing with noninvasive light-based imaging. They will study how folate changes gene activity and mechanical signals that guide nerve growth and build new citrate-based polymers that both release folate and produce a photoacoustic signal in the near-infrared window. The team will test scaffold breakdown and nerve regrowth in lab and preclinical models while using photoacoustic imaging to monitor the scaffold and healing in real time. The ultimate aim is a scaffold that promotes functional recovery and can be tracked without repeated surgeries.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with critical-sized peripheral nerve defects from trauma or surgery—those who otherwise might need autograft nerve transplantation.
Not a fit: People with minor nerve injuries that heal on their own, injuries of the central nervous system (brain or spinal cord), or those not eligible for surgical implantation are unlikely to benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could improve repair of large peripheral nerve gaps, speed functional recovery, and reduce the need for donor nerve grafts.
How similar studies have performed: Existing nerve guidance conduits and growth-factor scaffolds have shown partial success in animals and some clinical settings, but combining folate-driven epigenetic stimulation with a photoacoustic-traceable biodegradable polymer is a novel and early-stage approach.
Where this research is happening
University Park, United States
- Pennsylvania State University, the — University Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yan, Su — Pennsylvania State University, the
- Study coordinator: Yan, Su
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.