Stem cell technology in peripheral nerve restoration

Peripheral nerve injuries are a significant problem in the medical and socio-economic plan, as they are accompanied by a high incidence of disability by people of working age. In recent decades, significant progress has been made in the restorative surgery of the peripheral nervous system, in particular through the introduction into clinical practice of microsurgical techniques. However, the problem of restoring the peripheral nerve after its traumatic injury has not been resolved yet. A review article addresses the current state of developing stem cell technologies for peripheral nerve repair. Basic concepts of peripheral nerve regeneration after traumatic injury, methods of their restoration in experimental and clinic conditions are considered. The prospect of using stem cells of different origins is shown in the experiment by many authors, and the positive effect of stem cells on peripheral nerve regeneration is explained by their ability to secrete many trophic factors and differentiation to a neural phenotype. An essential issue in the tissue engineering approach is the choice of the optimal material to be used as a scaffold for large size peripheral nerve defects grafting. The article focuses on the main types of stem cells, as well as their combinations with biopolymers, which have shown efficiency in the experiment. Despite the advances in the use of the latest technologies, the search for the necessary components is underway to provide the most favorable conditions for peripheral nerve regeneration in the clinic.