Functional Recovery Following the Transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells in Rat Spinal Cord Injury Model

Asian Spine J, 2018 · DOI: 10.31616/asj.2018.12.6.998 · Published: December 1, 2018

Spinal Cord Injury Participation Regenerative Medicine

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) often lead to permanent functional deficits because the central nervous system lacks the ability to repair itself spontaneously. Cell therapy strategies are being explored to address this issue. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are specialized glial cells that support the regeneration of olfactory neurons. They possess properties of both central and peripheral nervous system glial cells, making them promising for neurotransplantation. This study evaluates the effectiveness of different doses of allogenic OEC transplantation in a rat model of SCI, assessing motor recovery and histological changes after transplantation.

Study Duration

8 weeks

Participants

30 female Albino Wistar rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Cultured olfactory ensheathing cells expressed markers for OECs (p75NTR), olfactory nerve fibroblasts (anti-fibronectin), Schwann cells (S100β), and astrocytes (GFAP).
2
All transplanted groups showed improved Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) scores, indicating hind-limb motor recovery compared to the spinal cord injury group.
3
Transplantation of 5×10^5 cells resulted in the best motor outcomes among all the tested dosages of olfactory ensheathing cells.

Research Summary

This study investigates the therapeutic potential of olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). OECs were cultured, characterized, and transplanted at varying doses into experimentally injured spinal cords. The results indicate that OEC transplantation promotes motor recovery, as evidenced by improved BBB scores and increased motor-evoked potential amplitudes in the treated groups compared to the SCI group. The study concludes that OECs have a therapeutic effect in rat SCI models, suggesting potential for future clinical applications, with a dose of 5×10^5 cells showing the most promising motor outcomes.

Practical Implications

Clinical Translation

Olfactory ensheathing cells could be used for autologous transplantation in humans with spinal cord injuries due to their accessibility and regenerative potential.

Dose Optimization

The optimal dosage of OECs for transplantation appears to be around 5×10^5 cells, which can inform dosage calculations in future clinical trials.

Further Research

Future studies should involve larger sample sizes and investigations in higher mammals to further validate the therapeutic effects of OEC transplantation.

Study Limitations

1
Allogenic transplantation was performed, rather than autologous, due to technical challenges.
2
Quantification of regeneration was not performed histologically before and after transplantation.
3
Studies involving larger sample sizes and higher mammals study are recommended.

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