Investigation of Biological Adhesives and Polyurea Crosslinked Silica-Based Aerogels

ORAL

Abstract

One of the key steps towards developing new technology for nerve repair is to look at the interaction mechanism and strength of biological components with the material under investigation. The existing technology for peripheral nerve repair relies on suturing techniques for attaching and immobilization of the implant. It is also limited to connecting two nerve components only, through a cylindrical-shaped unit which we will refer to as 1-D. The focus of our work is to develop an aerogel-based printed circuit board (PCB) system for precise guidance of multiple (n-D) neuronal components, simultaneously. Here we report on the adhesion strength of sciatic nerve segments removed from cadaver Sprague Dawley rats and the surface of treated and untreated polyurea cross-linked silica-based aerogels. The adhesion strength of the nerve to the aerogel surface was studied under varying environmental conditions as well as surface coating types. The coatings tested were basement membrane extract (BME), Cell Tak, and the combination. Since the mechanism of adhesion to cells and other surfaces is different and non-competing for BME and Cell Tak it is expected that a stronger adhesion should be accomplished by combining these two adhesives. The effect of temperature, nerve elasticity, and ionic concentration on the strength of adhesion was investigated also and will be reported.

Authors

  • Laura Lyons

    Univ. of Memphis, Dept. of Physics

  • Milind Purohit

    Univ of South Carolina, Benedict College, Sc 29204, Univ. South Carolina, Benedict College, Univ South Carolina, GA Tech, Central Microscopy Research Facility, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA, Department of Chemistry, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA, Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, College of William \& Mary, Harvard University, Benedict College, SC 29204, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Applied Science, Bielefeld, Germany, Francis Marion University, Physics Dept., Emory University, Emory University, Formerly Emory University, currently UCLA, Physics Department, Georgia State University, Univ. of Georgia, Dept. of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Argentina, Pr, Dr, Derpartment of Physics, Florida A\&M University, Tallahassee, FL-32307, Department of Physics, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Naval Research Laboratory, University of Alabama, Tsinghua University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, Jagellonian Univ., Univ. of Bonn, North Carolina A\&T State Univ., North Carolina Central Univ., Duke Univ. and TUNL, Georgia State University, Dept of Physics, Emory University, Cell Biology Department, Emory University, Physics Department, Emory University, University of South Carolina

  • Judith Cole

    Univ. of Memphis, Dept. of Biology

  • Firouzeh Sabri

    Univ. of Memphis, Dept. of Physics, University of Memphis