Table 1 The main natural polymers used in neural tissue engineering, biocompatibility in vitro/in vivo, and examples of their applications

 Collagen

Non-human primates

Nerve guide

[51, 52]

Rats

Hydrogel/scaffold

[23, 28]

Dogs

Nerve conduits

[53]

Cats

Nerve conduits

[54]

Mice

Entubulation

[57]

DRGs

Entubulation

[58]

Rats

Entubulation

[59]

 Fish Collagen

rBMSCs

No influence on neural differentiation

[63]

 Gelatin

hC-MSCs

Electrospun conduits

[66]

PC12

Electrospun conduits

[67]

C17.2

Nerve conduits for Schwann cells

[68]

RT4-D6P2T

Nerve conduits for Schwann cells

[168]

PC12

Nerve conduits for Schwann cells

[177]

Rats

Nerve conduit

[178, 181, 182]

Allogeneic rMSCs

Scaffold

[27]

Primary RSCs

Rats

Nanoparticles

[75]

PC12

Hybrid Scaffold

[184]

PC12

Bioink

[77, 78]

 Elastin

Mice

Thermally Responsive ELPs

[193]

PC12

ELPs Drug Depot

[194]

Rats

ELPs Intranasal Drug Delivery

[195]

 Hyaluronic Acid

Rats

Hydrogel

[197]

NPCs from forebrain cortical neuroepithelium of E13.5 rats

Hydrogel

[198]

C17.2 cells, ReNcells, GRPs

Hydrogel

[199]

DRGs

Hydrogel

[39]

NPCs

Hydrogel

[28, 202, 203]

Rabbits

Nerve Conduit

[189, 206]

Rats

Nerve Conduit

[48]

RSC96

Nerve Conduit

[192]

NSCs

Drug Delivery

[93, 94]

PC12

Nanoparticles

[207]

Cerebral cortices of Sprague–Dawley rats

Coating

[208]

 Alginate

Cats

Gel

[209, 212, 213]

Rats

Gel

[210]

Rats

Sponge

[211, 215, 216]

PDLMSCs and GMSCs

Hybrid scaffold

[217]

PC12

Hybrid scaffold

[95]

NSCs

Hybrid scaffold

[218]

Rats

Hybrid scaffold

[108,109,110,111]

 Chitosan

PC12

Hydrogel

[26, 76, 120]

NPCs from forebrain cortical neuroepithelium of C57 fetal rats

Hydrogel

[113]

NSCs

Hydrogel

[114, 115]

Neuro-2a

Scaffold

[116]

Schwann cells from Sprague-Dawley rats

Scaffold

[117, 118, 123,124,125].

U373

Nanotubes

[119]

BMSCs

Scaffold

[121]

Dogs

Scaffold

[122]

GFP+RG3.6

Micro/nano vehicle

[126]

Rats

Micro/nano vehicle

[34, 127]

Mice

Micro/nano vehicle

[128]

hNSC

Bioink

[129]

 Keratin

Mice

Nerve guide

[131, 132, 134]

RT4-D6P2T

Mice

Hydrogel

[133]

Rabbits

Hydrogel

[135]

Primates

Hydrogel

[136]

Glial cells

Nanofibrous Scaffold

[137]

 Silk

NSCs

Hydrogel

[30, 141]

Rats

Hydrogel

[39]

DRGs

Hydrogel

[139, 140, 143, 145, 147]

Primary Hippocampal Neurons

Scaffold

[144]

PC12

Electrospun scaffold

[146]

Rats

Electrospun scaffold

[39, 40]

Dogs

Electrospun scaffold

[24]

Rats

Nerve Guide

[148]

Rats

Electrode Coating

[149]

Glial Scarring

Electrode Coating

[150]

NT2

Nerve guide (spider silk)

[151]

NSCs

Matrix (spider silk)

[152]

 Collagen

Peripheral nerve reconstruction

NeuraGen®

[55]

Peripheral nerve reconstruction

Neuromaix®

[56]