2026 / 03

DOI: 10.24075/brsmu.2026.029
Copyright: © 2026 by the authors. Licensee: Pirogov University.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY).

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Biocompatibility of microstructured polymer materials with potential use in reconstructive surgery

Gabriyanchik MA1 , Antonova OY2 , Taylakov ME2 , Grachev VA3 , Pirogov KS4 , Startseva OI1 , Kanev IL2
About authors

1 Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia

2 Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia

3 Moscow Polytechnic University, Moscow, Russia

4 Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia

Correspondence should be addressed: Igor L. Kanev
Institutskaya, 3, Pushchino, 142290, Russia; moc.liamg@venak4

About paper

Funding: the study was part of a research project sponsored by Neuroconduit LLC and financed under the state assignment No. FFRS-2024-0016 executed by Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Acknowledgements: the authors express their deep gratitude for the help of the staff of the Vivarium of Regenerative Medicine of the I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, JV Khristidis, BP Ershov, as well as the Laboratory of Digital Microscopic Analysis, AL Fayzulin. Ultrastructure of the materials was examined on equipment of the Research Equipment Sharing Center of Physical Methods for Studying Substances and Materials at the Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Author contribution: Gabriyanchik MA — research concept and design, editing; Antonova OY — design development, in vitro testing, data analysis, text preparation; Taylakov ME — production of materials, analysis and statistical data processing, editing; Grachev VA — production of materials, analysis and statistical data processing; Pirogov KS — text preparation; Startseva OI — concept and design of research, editing; Kanev IL — production concept and analysis of the structure of materials, data analysis, text preparation.

Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Minutes No. 10–25 of April 24, 2025), and conducted in compliance with the provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrates used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes.

Received: 2026-04-14 Accepted: 2026-05-09 Published online: 2026-06-12
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Reconstruction of peripheral nerves remains an urgent surgical problem. Autologous nerve grafting is the gold standard for bridging nerve defects, but it is limited by the shortage of donor material, which drives interest in biocompatible polymers for artificial conduits. The aim of this study was to evaluate biocompatibility in vitro and tissue response to subcutaneous in vivo implantation of perspective microstructured materials. The cytotoxicity of porous polycaprolactone (PCL), PCL–collagen composite, fibrous PCL, and nanofibrous polyamide was assessed on L929 fibroblasts. For in vivo testing, material samples were implanted into C57BL/6 mice, and histological analysis was performed after 14 days. In vitro porous PCL exhibited the highest viability and adhesion, while fibrous PCL showed the lowest. In vivo porous PCL and nanofibrous polyamide caused minimal inflammation, whereas PCL–collagen composite and fibrous PCL induced granulomatous inflammation, macrophage infiltration, and formation of fibrous capsule. The most biocompatible materials — porous PCL and nanofibrous polyamide — show promise for a biomimetic conduit with an outer barrier shell of porous PCL and an inner aligned scaffold of polyamide nanofibers.

Keywords: cytotoxicity, polycaprolactone, scanning electron microscopy, artificial conduits, targeted regeneration, polyamide, foreign body reaction, macrophage infiltration

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