The Immunological Roles of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological disorder often resulting in high mortality and disability. Effectively reducing pro-inflammatory responses is a promising treatment strategy to improve functional recovery after SCI. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have increasingly become potential candidates for cell-based therapy in the injured CNS because of their anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects. A deeper understanding of OEC immunological functions may improve clinical applications of OECs for SCI. This review summarizes recent research on the cellular and molecular immune attributes of OECs, focusing on their unique biological functions in promoting neural regeneration to develop novel therapies for CNS injury.

• 1
  OECs exhibit innate immune function, secrete immunoregulatory molecules, and possess phagocytic activity, maintaining microenvironmental homeostasis to support neuronal survival and outgrowth.
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  OECs, beyond their roles in the olfactory system, contribute to neural regeneration and recovery after SCI through transplantation.
• 3
  OEC transplantation promotes neural repair and functional recovery in injured spinal cords, attributed to their unique immune cell properties and modulatory abilities, including growth factor secretion and limitation of immune cell activation.