Olfactory ensheathing cell

Olfactory glia that express the antimicrobial enzyme lysozyme (LYZ) are thought to play an important role in immunoprotection in the mucosa, where neurons are directly exposed to the external environment.

[4] OECs are thought to be in part responsible for the neurogenesis of primary olfactory neurons through the processes of fasciculation, cell sorting, and axonal targeting.

[6] Traumatic spinal cord damage causes a permanent loss of motor and sensory functions in the central nervous system, termed paraplegia or tetraplegia based on the site of the injury.

Studies dating back to the 1990s have begun researching the olfactory system of mammals, rats in particular, to gain a greater understanding of axonal regeneration and neurogenesis, and the possible implementation of these cells at the site of the spinal cord injury.

Several recent studies have reported that preventing OEC inhibition will present a uniform population of cells in the spinal cord, creating an environment in which damaged axons can be repaired.

Several studies have shown evidence of OECs being able to support regeneration of lesioned axons, but these results are often unable to be reproduced.

[3] Gellan gum hydrogel can be injected in a minimally invasive manner and is approved by the FDA as a food additive because of its chemical structure.

The gellan gum was modified with several fibronectin-derived peptide sequences so the transplantation cells have closely related properties to that of native tissue in the extracellular matrix.

The results provide evidence that this method of cell transplantation is a potential strategy for repairing spinal cord damage in the future.

[9][12] As stem cell transplantation is becoming a more prevalent means of treating traumatic spinal cord damage, many processes between the start and end result need to be addressed and made more efficient.

[13] The experiment resulted in an OEC labeling efficiency of more than 90% with an MPIO incubation time as short as 6 hours, without affecting cell proliferation, migration and viability.

[13] Two distinct subpopulations of OECs have been identified[14] with high or low cell surface expression of low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (p75).