XT-type DNA hydrogels loaded with VEGF and NGF promote peripheral nerve regeneration

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) remains an unresolved challenge in the medicine area. With the development of biomaterial science and tissue engineering, a variety of nerve conduits were widely applied for repairing long defect PNI. DNA materials are developing rapidly due to their multiple advantages. In the present study, we aim to combine a DNA hydrogel, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) to construct a new type of delivery system, which could achieve a biphasic release profile of VEGF and NGF by taking advantage of the different degradation rates between X- and T-type DNA.