Method for making nerve graft

A method for making a nerve graft, the method comprising:

• providing a lyophobic substrate, wherein the lyophobic substrate is a silica gel substrate or a substrate coated with silica gel;
• making a carbon nanotube film structure comprising at least one drawn carbon nanotube film which is free-standing and comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube segments successively oriented along a fixed direction, and joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween along the fixed direction, wherein each carbon nanotube segment comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes parallel to each other and combined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween, a majority of the carbon nanotubes are oriented along the fixed direction that is substantially parallel to a surface of the carbon nanotube film structure, and wherein the carbon nanotube film structure has a thickness of about 0.3 micrometers;
• attaching the carbon nanotube film structure directly on a surface of the lyophobic substrate;
• making a culture layer comprising the carbon nanotube film structure and a protein layer in direct contact with the carbon nanotube film structure, wherein the protein layer comprises a protein attached on the carbon nanotube film structure, a thickness of the protein layer is from about 0.3 micrometers to about 2 micrometers;
• seeding a plurality of nerve cells on a surface of the protein layer away from the carbon nanotube film structure;
• and
• forming a nerve network by culturing the plurality of nerve cells until a plurality of neurites branch from the plurality of nerve cells and are connected between the plurality of nerve cells.