Differentiated adipose-derived stem cells promote peripheral nerve regeneration

INTRODUCTION

Many reports have indicated that adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are effective for nerve regeneration. We investigated nerve regeneration by combining a polyglycolic acid collagen (PGA-c) tube, which is approved for clinical use, and Schwann cell-like differentiated ADSCs (dADSCs).

METHODS

Fifteen-millimeter-long gaps in the sciatic nerve of rats were bridged in each group using tubes (group I), with tubes injected with dADSCs (group II), or by resected nerve (group III).

RESULTS

Axonal outgrowth was greater in group II than in group I. Tibialis anterior muscle weight revealed recovery only in group III. Latency in nerve conduction studies was equivalent in group II and III, but action potential was lower in group II. Transplanted dADSCs maintained Schwann cell marker expression. ATF3 expression level in the dorsal root ganglia was equivalent in groups II and III.

DISCUSSION

dADSCs maintained their differentiated state in the tubes and are believed to have contributed to nerve regeneration.

Application of marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular matrix in peripheral nerve tissue engineering

To advance molecular and cellular therapy into the clinic for peripheral nerve injury, modification of neural scaffolds with the extracellular matrix (ECM) of peripheral nerves has been established as a promising alternative to direct inclusion of support cells and/or growth factors within a neural scaffold, while cell-derived ECM proves to be superior to tissue-derived ECM in the modification of neural scaffolds. Based on the fact that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), just like Schwann cells, are adopted as support cells within a neural scaffold, in this study we used BMSCs as parent cells to generate ECM for application in peripheral nerve tissue engineering. A chitosan nerve guidance conduit (NGC) and silk fibroin filamentous fillers were respectively prepared for co-culture with purified BMSCs, followed by decellularization to stimulate ECM deposition. The ECM-modified NGC and lumen fillers were then assembled into a chitosan-silk fibroin-based, BMSC-derived, ECM-modified neural scaffold, which was implanted into rats to bridge a 10 mm-long sciatic nerve gap. Histological and functional assessments after implantation showed that regenerative outcomes achieved by our engineered neural scaffold were better than those achieved by a plain chitosan-silk fibroin scaffold, and suggested the benefits of BMSC-derived ECM for peripheral nerve repair. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.