autologous sural nerve tissue

Autologous sural nerve tissue is an investigational cell-based therapy involving the transplantation of a patient's own peripheral nerve segments into the central nervous system to provide neurotrophic support. Developed primarily by researchers at the University of Kentucky, this approach leverages the regenerative capacity of Schwann cells. When sural nerve tissue is harvested (and often pre-injured), the resident Schwann cells undergo dedifferentiation into a repair phenotype, secreting potent neurotrophic factors such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and nerve growth factor (NGF). In clinical trials for Parkinson's disease, these tissue fragments are surgically implanted into regions like the substantia nigra or the nucleus basalis of Meynert, often during the placement of deep brain stimulation (DBS) leads—a paradigm known as 'DBS-Plus.' The implanted tissue acts as a localized biological delivery system intended to protect degenerating neurons, stimulate axonal repair, and restore functional circuitry.

Other names

autologous peripheral nerve tissueautologous sural nerve graftPNT graft