Latest plastic surgery studies by Karim Sarhane

Reconstructive transplantation research studies by Karim Sarhane 2022? Researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, conducted a study to develop a drug delivery system using a very small material, nanofiber hydrogel composite, which can hold nanoparticles containing IGF-1 and be delivered near the injured nerve to help it heal. Dr. Kara Segna, MD, received one of three Best of Meeting Abstract Awards from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine) for the project. She will present the abstract “IGF-1 Nanoparticles Improve Functional Outcomes After Peripheral Nerve Injury” on Saturday, April 2, at 1:45 pm during the 47th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting being held March 31-April 2, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. Coauthors include Drs. Sami Tuffaha, Thomas Harris, Chenhu Qui, Karim Sarhane, Ahmet Hoke, Hai-Quan Mao.

Dr. Karim Sarhane is an MD MSc graduate from the American University of Beirut. Following graduation, he completed a 1-year internship in the Department of Surgery at AUB. He then joined the Reconstructive Transplantation Program of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Johns Hopkins University for a 2-year research fellowship. He then completed a residency in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toledo (2021). In July 2021, he started his plastic surgery training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery (2021).

Schwann cells are instrumental to recovery following PNI given their ability to support and guide axonal regeneration via the secretion of neurotrophic factors and maintenance of basal lamina tubes (Scheib and Hoke, 2013, 2016a,b; Tuffaha et al., 2016b). Initially after injury, myelinating SCs distal to the site of injury undergo conversion to a more immature, proliferating repair phenotype (Nocera and Jacob, 2020). Throughout this process, SCs express a variety of genes that dynamically control the regenerative process by promoting survival of neurons, breakdown of damaged axons, clearance of myelin, axonal regrowth, and guidance to the axons’ former targets, finally leading to remyelination of the regenerated axon (Chen et al., 2015; Gordon, 2020; Nocera and Jacob, 2020). Unfortunately, upregulation of pro-regenerative gene expression is temporary and the SCs gradually lose the continued ability to support axonal regrowth as time elapses without axonal interaction (Gordon, 2020). A more detailed description of the biological processes underpinning the role of SCs in peripheral nerve regeneration can be found in a recent review article by Nocera and Jacob (2020). IGF-1 supports SCs by promoting their proliferation, maturation, and differentiation to myelinating phenotypes, while concurrently inhibiting SC apoptosis via the PI3K pathway (Scheib and Hoke, 2013; Tuffaha et al., 2016b). IGF-1’s ability to initiate myelination centers around regulating the balance between ERK, a pathway suppressing SC differentiation, and PI3K-Akt, a pathway promoting SC differentiation via increased expression of myelin basic protein and myelin-associated glycoprotein (Schumacher et al., 1993; Stewart et al., 1996; Conlon et al., 2001; Scheib and Hoke, 2016a).

Recovery by sustained IGF-1 delivery (Karim Sarhane research) : The translation of NP- mediated delivery of water-soluble bioactive protein therapeutics has, to date, been limited in part by the complexity of the fabrication strategies. FNP is commonly used to encapsulate hydrophobic therapeutics, offering a simple, efficient, and scalable technique that enables precise tuning of particle characteristics [35]. Although the new iFNP process improves water-soluble protein loading, it is difficult to preserve the bioactivity of encapsulated proteins with this method.

The amount of time that elapses between initial nerve injury and end-organ reinnervation has consistently been shown to be the most important predictor of functional recovery following PNI (Scheib and Hoke, 2013), with proximal injuries and delayed repairs resulting in worse outcomes (Carlson et al., 1996; Tuffaha et al., 2016b). This is primarily due to denervation-induced atrophy of muscle and Schwann cells (SCs) (Fu and Gordon, 1995).

We comprehensively reviewed the literature for original studies examining the efficacy of IGF-1 in treating PNI. We queried the PubMed and Embase databases for terms including “Insulin-Like Growth Factor I,” “IGF1,” “IGF-1,” “somatomedin C,” “PNIs,” “peripheral nerves,” “nerve injury,” “nerve damage,” “nerve trauma,” “nerve crush,” “nerve regeneration,” and “nerve repair.” Following title review, our search yielded 218 results. Inclusion criteria included original basic science studies utilizing IGF-1 as a means of addressing PNI. Following abstract review, 56 studies were sorted by study type and mechanism of delivery into the following categories: (1) in vitro, (2) in vivo endogenous upregulation of IGF-1, or (3) in vivo delivery of exogenous IGF-1. Studies included in the in vivo exogenous IGF-1 group were further sub-stratified into systemic or local delivery, and the local IGF-1 delivery methods were further sub-divided into free IGF-1 injection, hydrogel, or mini-pump studies. Following categorization by mechanism of IGF-1 delivery, the optimal dosage range for each group was calculated by converting all reported IGF-1 dosages to nM for ease of comparison using the standard molecular weight of IGF-1 of 7649 Daltons. After standardization of dosages to nM, the IGF-1 concentration reported as optimal from each study was used to calculate the overall mean, median, and range of optimal IGF-1 dosage for each group.