title: Culture of olfactory ensheathing cells for central nerve repair:  the limitations and potential of endoscopic olfactory mucosal biopsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autotransplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) into the damaged central nervous system is a potential therapeutic strategy for spinal cord and root cord injuries. One limiting factor has been the poor OEC yields from human mucosal biopsies. Previous studies have only commented on their success in obtaining mucosal specimens containing olfactory mucosa, but have not commented on the yield of OECs from those specimens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe a reproducible and safe surgical technique for obtaining human olfactory mucosa and identify patient factors that possibly affect the yield of OEC cultures from the human olfactory mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained mucosal biopsies from 43 consecutive patients by using a novel reproducible surgical technique and our laboratory culture protocol. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between OECs and fibroblast yield with patient characteristics and specimen factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A greater yield of OECs was obtained from patients of younger age. In addition, patients with worse mucosal disease yielded poorer cell cultures. Greatest yields were found in patients with absence of mucosal disease. Furthermore, a higher yield of OECs was obtained from specimens harvested from the more caudal portions of the superior turbinate, and OEC yield did not correlate with the ventroposterior location of the biopsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have provided evidence that biopsies closer to the cribriform plate can produce larger yields of OECs, and that patient factors like age and mucosal disease adversely affect the culture yield.
authors.affiliation: Spinal Repair Unit, Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom. Carolina.kachramanoglou@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kachramanoglou
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Daqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019723:Endoscopes; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D015588:Observer Variation; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014420:Turbinates / Q000166:cytology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; C484065:NGFR protein, human; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins