Neural repair with stem cells

Faced with repairing major nerve injuries in the face or mouth, a skilled surgeon can remove a nerve from an arm or leg and use it to restore the movement or sensation of the original trauma site

Scientists and clinicians have recently been using a different strategy to regenerate functional nerves, including commercially available stents to guide nerve growth

In an innovative method for guiding nerve repair shared in the journal npj regenerative medicine, the University of Pennsylvania team induced the growth of Schwann-like cells in human gingival-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs), which are pre-regenerative cells of the peripheral nervous system.

"Instead of being autologous, leading to unnecessary morbidity, we want to create a biological method and use stem cells to regenerate," said Anler, senior author of the study, chair and professor/pharmacology in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry

For more than ten years, Le’s laboratory has taken the lead in using bone marrow stromal stem cells to treat several inflammatory diseases and regenerate various types of craniofacial tissues

Le and his colleagues led Qunzhou Zhang, and now faculty members of the University of Pennsylvania Dental Medicine are able to apply their previous understanding of business growth using specific conditions in the collagen matrix to encourage cell growth to be more like Schwann cells, cell identity confirmation and multiple genetic markers

"We observed this very interesting phenomenon," Le said.

To advance this work, Le contacted D.

Using commercially available scaffolds for nerve growth, researchers introduced cells into collagen hydrogels

Cullen said: "By letting host Schwann cells spread throughout the biological scaffold, you are basically close to natural nerve repair

He said: "The animals that received the nerve conduit filled with cells, their performance matched that of the group of animals that received the autologous transplantation repair

Although the current research work is to repair a small gap in the nerve, the researcher's goal is to continue to improve the method and try to repair a larger gap, because this is often the case when oral cancer requires surgery to remove the tumor

Le pointed out that this method will give patients with oral cancer or facial trauma the opportunity to use their own tissues to restore motor function and sensation, and have cosmetic improvements after repair

Although Le's team focused on the head and neck, further research on the model may also translate into nerve repair in other parts of the body

Journal Reference :

1. Qunzhou Zhang, Phuong Nguyen, Justin C.