Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2022, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (4): 721-727.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.322445

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Functional and immunological peculiarities of peripheral nerve allografts

Kelly C.S. Roballo1, Jason P. Gigley2, Tyler A. Smith3, George D. Bittner4, Jared S. Bushman1, *#br#   

  1. 1School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; 2Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; 3Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; 4Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
  • Online:2022-04-15 Published:2021-10-16
  • Contact: Jared S. Bushman, PhD, jbushman@uwyo.edu.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by University of Wyoming Startup Funds, United States Department of Defense, grant No. W81XWH-17-1-0402, the University of Wyoming Sensory Biology COBRE under National Institutes of Health (NIH), award number 5P20GM121310-02, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the NIH under Award Number P20GM103432 (to JSB). This work was also supported by grants from the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation, NIH R01NS081063, and Department of Defense award W81XWH-19-2-0054 to GDB. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the US Department of Defense, NIH, University of Texas, or the University of Wyoming. 

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Abstract: This review addresses the accumulating evidence that live (not decellularized) allogeneic peripheral nerves are functionally and immunologically peculiar in comparison with many other transplanted allogeneic tissues. This is relevant because live peripheral nerve allografts are very effective at promoting recovery after segmental peripheral nerve injury via axonal regeneration and axon fusion. Understanding the immunological peculiarities of peripheral nerve allografts may also be of interest to the field of transplantation in general. Three topics are addressed: The first discusses peripheral nerve injury and the potential utility of peripheral nerve allografts for bridging segmental peripheral nerve defects via axon fusion and axon regeneration. The second reviews evidence that peripheral nerve allografts elicit a more gradual and less severe host immune response allowing for prolonged survival and function of allogeneic peripheral nerve cells and structures. Lastly, potential mechanisms that may account for the immunological differences of peripheral nerve allografts are discussed. 

Key words: allograft, animal model, immunology, neuroimmunology, peripheral nerve injury, regeneration, repair, tissue regeneration, tissue transplantation, transplant