A laminin‐2‐derived peptide promotes early‐stage peripheral nerve regeneration in a dual‐component artificial nerve graft

The DLTIDDSYWYRI motif (Ln2‐P3) of human laminin‐2 has been reported to promote PC12 cell attachment through syndecan‐1; however, the in vivo effects of Ln2‐P3 have not been studied. In Schwann cells differentiated from skin‐derived precursors, the peptide was effective in promoting cell attachment and spreading in vitro. To examine the effects of Ln2‐P3 in peripheral nerve regeneration in vivo, we developed a dual‐component poly(p‐dioxanone) (PPD)/poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) artificial nerve graft. The novel graft was coated with scrambled peptide or Ln2‐P3 and used to bridge a 10 mm defect in rat sciatic nerves. The dual‐component nerve grafts provided tensile strength comparable to that of a real rat nerve trunk. The Ln2‐P3‐treated grafts promoted early‐stage peripheral nerve regeneration by enhancing the nerve regeneration rate and significantly increased the myelinated fibre density compared with scrambled peptide‐treated controls. These findings indicate that Ln2‐P3, combined with tissue‐engineering scaffolds, has potential biomedical applications in peripheral nerve injury repair. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.