Engineered nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have been demonstrated for repairing peripheral nerve injuries. However, there remains a need for an advanced biofabrication system to build NGCs with complex architectures, tunable material properties, and customizable geometrical control. Here, a rapid continuous 3D-printing platform was developed to print customizable NGCs with unprecedented resolution, speed, flexibility, and scalability. A variety of NGC designs varying in complexity and size were created including a life-size biomimetic branched human facial NGC. In vivo implantation of NGCs with microchannels into complete sciatic nerve transections of mouse models demonstrated the effective directional guidance of regenerating sciatic nerves via branching into the microchannels and extending toward the distal end of the injury site. Histological staining and immunostaining further confirmed the progressive directional nerve regeneration and branching behavior across the entire NGC length. Observational and functional tests, including the von Frey threshold test and thermal test, showed promising recovery of motor function and sensation in the ipsilateral limbs grafted with the 3D-printed NGCs.

工程神经引导导管（NGC）已被证明可修复周围神经损伤。但是，仍然需要一种先进的生物制造系统来构建具有复杂架构，可调材料特性和可定制几何控制的NGC。在这里，开发了一个快速连续的3D打印平台，以前所未有的分辨率，速度，灵活性和可扩展性来打印可定制的NGC。创建了各种复杂程度和大小各异的NGC设计，包括真人大小的仿生分支人类面部NGC。体内将带有微通道的NGC植入完整的坐骨神经横断小鼠模型中，证明了通过分支进入微通道并向损伤部位的远端延伸来再生坐骨神经的有效方向指导。组织学染色和免疫染色进一步证实了在整个NGC长度上进行性定向神经再生和分支行为。观察和功能测试（包括冯·弗雷阈值测试和热测试）表明，用3D打印的NGC移植的同侧肢体的运动功能和感觉有恢复的希望。