title: Peripheral nerve regeneration by transplantation of bone marrow stromal cell-derived Schwann cells in adult rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) can be induced to form Schwann cells by sequentially treating the cells with beta-mercaptoethanol and retinoic acid, followed by forskolin and neurotrophic factors including heregulin. In this study the authors made artificial grafts filled with BMSC-derived Schwann cells (BMSC-DSCs) and transplanted them into the transected sciatic nerve in adult rats to evaluate the potential of BMSCs as a novel alternative method of peripheral nerve regeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  The BMSC-DSCs were suspended in Matrigel and transferred into hollow fibers (12 mm in length), which were transplanted into the transected sciatic nerve in adult Wistar rats. Six months after cell transplantation, electrophysiological evaluation and walking track analysis were performed. Results of these studies showed significant improvement in motor nerve conduction velocity and sciatic nerve functional index in the BMSC-DSC-transplanted group compared with the control group (Matrigel graft only). Immunohistochemical study data demonstrated that transplanted BMSCs labeled with retrovirus green fluorescent protein were positive for P0 and myelin-associated glycoprotein and had reconstructed nodes of Ranvier and remyelinated regenerated nerve axons. The number of regenerated axons in the axial section of the central portion of the graft was significantly greater in the transplanted group. Although BMSCs can differentiate into several types of cells, tumor formation did not occur 6 months after engraftment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results in this study indicate that BMSC-DSCs have great potential to promote regeneration of peripheral nerves. The artificial graft made with BMSC-DSCs represents an alternative method for the difficult reconstruction of a long distance gap in a peripheral nerve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan. mimura-nsu@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dezawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology