Research shows gene therapy helps nerves heal better after severe injury

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) remain a major clinical challenge and often, despite surgical repair, leave patients with lifelong sensory, motor and functional impairments. Researchers at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and College of Engineering developed a novel gene-based therapy that boosts blood vessel growth at sites of severe nerve injury, improving healing outcomes. The new approach combines nerve graft surgery with tissue nanotransfection (TNT), a novel, nonviral gene therapy developed at The Ohio State University.

Their findings, “Vasculogenic Tissue Nanotransfection Accelerates Functional Recovery After Peripheral Nerve Injury,” were recently published in the journal Science Advances. Read more.