Olfactory-ensheathing cell transplantation for peripheral nerve repair: update on recent developments.

A number of important advances have been made using transplantation of olfactory-ensheathing cells (OECs) to provide therapeutic effects with regard to peripheral nerve repair. In vivo studies have focused on transplanting OECs to stimulate axonal regeneration and sprouting, increase remyelination, confer neuroprotection, enhance neovascularization and replace lost cells. OECs support axonal regeneration and remyelination with appropriate formation of axonal nodes of Ranvier with improvement of nerve conduction velocity. Current work using gene profiling and proteomics is identifying potential therapeutic differences between OECs harvested from nasal mucosa and the olfactory bulb and genes that OECs express that may be conducive to neural repair. OECs derived from nasal mucosa are of clinical interest since the cells could potentially be harvested from a patient and used for autotransplantation. Various nerve scaffolds and materials have been used for nerve repair and recent studies have examined OECs in combination with various supportive materials, including nanoparticles and scaffolds for peripheral nerve substance defects. This review will discuss the use of OECs in nerve repair and nerve defect injuries with specific emphasis on differences between OECs derived from the olfactory bulb and the olfactory mucosa.

Radtke C ，Kocsis JD 《-》

Peripheral nerve injuries and transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells for axonal regeneration and remyelination: fact or fiction?

Radtke C ，Kocsis JD 《INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES》

Co-transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells from mucosa and bulb origin enhances functional recovery after peripheral nerve lesion.

Guérout N ，Paviot A ，Bon-Mardion N ，Duclos C ，Genty D ，Jean L ，Boyer O ，Marie JP ... -  《PLoS One》

Transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells as adjunct cell therapy for peripheral nerve injury.

Traumatic events, such as work place trauma or motor vehicle accident violence, result in a significant number of severe peripheral nerve lesions, including nerve crush and nerve disruption defects. Transplantation of myelin-forming cells, such as Schwann cells (SCs) or olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), may be beneficial to the regenerative process because the applied cells could mediate neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects by secretion of chemokines. Moreover, myelin-forming cells are capable of bridging the repair site by establishing an environment permissive to axonal regeneration. The cell types that are subject to intense investigation include SCs and OECs either derived from the olfactory bulb or the olfactory mucosa, stromal cells from bone marrow (mesenchymal stem cells, MSCs), and adipose tissue-derived cells. OECs reside in the peripheral and central nervous system and have been suggested to display unique regenerative properties. However, so far OECs were mainly used in experimental studies to foster central regeneration and it was not until recently that their regeneration-promoting activity for the peripheral nervous system was recognized. In the present review, we summarize recent experimental evidence regarding the regenerative effects of OECs applied to the peripheral nervous system that may be relevant to design novel autologous cell transplantation therapies.

Radtke C ，Wewetzer K ，Reimers K ，Vogt PM ... -  《-》

A synthetic oxygen carrier-olfactory ensheathing cell composition system for the promotion of sciatic nerve regeneration.

The treatment of lengthy peripheral nerve defects is challenging in the field of the regenerative medicine. Thus far, many nerve scaffolds with seeded cells have been developed, which hold great potential to replace nerve autograft in bridging lengthy nerve defects by providing guiding and bioactive cues. However, low oxygen status has been found within nerve scaffolds after their implantation in vivo, which has been shown to result in death or loss of function of supportive cells, and significantly limit nerve regeneration and functional recovery after nerve injury. In the present study, perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA) was introduced into a collagen-chitosan conduit within which olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) were seeded to increase oxygen supply to OECs, as well as regenerating axons. The "PFTBA-OECs" enriched scaffolds were then used to bridge a 15-mm-long sciatic nerve defect in rats. Both nerve regeneration and functional recovery were examined at pre-defined time points after surgery. We found that the number of GFP-labeled OECs was significantly higher in the "PFTBA-OECs" scaffold than that in the single OECs scaffold. In addition, PFTBA was found to enhance the beneficial effect of OECs-enriched scaffold on axonal regeneration and functional recovery. All these findings indicate that the "PFTBA-OECs" enriched scaffolds are capable of promoting nerve regeneration and functional recovery, which might be attributable, at least in part, to their beneficial effect on the survival of OECs after their implantation in vivo.

Zhu S ，Ge J ，Wang Y ，Qi F ，Ma T ，Wang M ，Yang Y ，Liu Z ，Huang J ，Luo Z ... -  《-》