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2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (16): 2618-2624Application and existing problems of polyethylene glycol in the field of neurological reconstructionWei Jingjing1, Li Chenyang2, Wang Ping1, Li Yaxuan1, Ding Xiaofang1, Yang Lin1
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Autologous nerve transplantation is widely used clinically to achieve the purpose of nerve repair, but the application effect is not good. The application of polyethylene glycol ranges from cell fusion agents to hydrogel bioadhesives to new materials for promoting axon fusion nerve repair. Therefore, if it can be combined with polyethylene glycol to explore ways to speed up the reconstruction of nerve function, it can be better applied to the clinic, and it will also have important significance for nerve regeneration and functional reconstruction. OBJECTIVE: To describe the application and progress of polyethylene glycol in the field of neurological reconstruction. METHODS: PubMed and CNKI were used to retrieve articles about polyethylene glycol promoting cell fusion and polyethylene glycol acting on nerve repair. The search time was from October 2020 to March 2021. The English search terms were “PEG, polyethylene glycol, cell-fusion, nerve function reconstruction, nerve repair”. The Chinese search terms were “polyethylene glycol, cell fusion, function reconstruction, nerve repair”. All articles were initially screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 61 articles with higher relevance were retained for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Under certain conditions, 70% polyethylene glycol was added with a small amount of adenosine 5’-triphosphate, which can accelerate the rapid growth of injured nerve axons, effectively promote membrane fusion, and realize the reconstruction of nerve cell structure and function. (2) The main factor affecting the efficiency of cell fusion is the concentration of polyethylene glycol itself. When its concentration is 35%, the relative molecular mass is 4 000, or when the concentration is 50%, the relative molecular mass is 1 000, greatest impact on cell fusion efficiency is found. The other minor influencing factors are the number of fused cells, the reaction temperature, and time. (3) In further research on different mechanisms of promoting nerve repair, polyethylene glycol can promote axon fusion, which is manifested in the restoration of the continuity of axon morphology and its electrophysiological function. However, further research is needed to prove whether the effective connection of axons can be realized before Wallerian degeneration. (4) Polyethylene glycol has a broad application prospect. In the future, it can be considered in the research and development of new bioadhesives, nerve repair stent improvement, and composite hydrogel research. However, the application of polyethylene glycol in the field of nerve function reconstruction still has many unresolved problems, such as the long-term effects of polyethylene glycol-induced neuronal fusion on the human body, and the maximum delay in treatment time, which need to be continuously improved by follow-up research. Key words:polyethylene glycol, peripheral nerve, central nerve, cell fusion, axon fusion, molecular mechanism, nerve repair, Schwann cell |