title: Improvement of peripheral nerve regeneration by a tissue-engineered nerve filled with ectomesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: Ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) originate from the cranial neural crest. They are a potential source of neuronal and Schwann cells (SCs) of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) during embryonic development. The third passage of EMSCs enzymatically isolated from the mandibular processes of Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured in forskolin and bovine pituitary extract for 6 days to generate functional Schwann cell phenotypes. Next, 10-mm defects in the sciatic nerves were bridged with an autograft, tissue-engineered nerve filled with differentiated cells in collagen, or a PLGA conduit alone in 18 rats, and the nerve defects of another four rats were left untreated. The regenerated nerves were evaluated by the sciatic functional index (SFI) monthly and by histological analysis 4 months after grafting. The recovery index of the sciatic nerve improved significantly in the autograft and tissue-engineered nerve groups, both of which were superior to the PLGA group. In animals transplanted with the EMSCs, there was greater regeneration than with conduit alone during the same period of implantation. These results show that when EMSCs are transplanted to a peripheral nerve defect they differentiate into supportive cells that contribute to the promotion of axonal regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Histology and Pathology, College of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Y-J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: W-D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: J-W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011108:Polymers; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000502:physiology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; D003094:Collagen