The purpose of this study was to fabricate a conductive aligned nanofibrous substrate and evaluate its suitability and cytocompatibility with neural cells for nerve tissue engineering purposes. In order to reach these goals, we first used electrospinning to fabricate single-walled carbon-nanotube (SWCNT) incorporated poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanofibrous scaffolds and then assessed its cytocom...

The olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) has attracted much interest recently because of its potential for transplantation-based therapy of CNS disease. Rat OECs are able to remyelinate demyelinated axons and support regeneration of damaged axons. Although OECs can be grown readily from the rat, a macrosmatic species, it has been uncertain whether it would be similarly straightforward to obtain the...

Transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) is a promising therapy in spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment. However, the therapeutic efficacy of this method is unstable due to unknown reasons. Considering the alterations in the culture environment that occur during OEC preparation for transplantation, we hypothesize that these changes may cause variations in the curative effects of this ...

Transplantation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) or olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) have demonstrated beneficial effects after spinal cord injury (SCI), providing tissue protection and improving the functional recovery. However, the changes induced by these cells after their transplantation into the injured spinal cord remain largely unknown. We analyzed the changes in t...

INTRODUCTION Previously, we introduced the biogenic conduit (BC) as a novel autologous nerve conduit for bridging peripheral nerve defects and tested its regenerative capacity in a short- and long-term setting. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether intraluminal application of regeneration-promoting glial cells, including Schwann cells (SC) and olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC), di...

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) migrate from the olfactory epithelium towards the olfactory bulb during development. However, the guidance mechanism for OEC migration remains a mystery. Here we show that migrating OECs expressed the receptor of the repulsive guidance factor Slit-2. A gradient of Slit-2 in front of cultured OECs first caused the collapse of the leading front, then the reversa...

Kallmann's syndrome is caused by the failure of olfactory axons and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons to enter the embryonic forebrain, resulting in anosmia and sterility. Sox10 mutations have been associated with Kallmann's syndrome phenotypes, but their effect on olfactory system development is unknown. We recently showed that Sox10 is expressed by neural crest-derived olfactory e...

Temporal and spatial localization of nerve growth factor receptor (p75NGFR) in the developing olfactory system and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1 (GnRH) system was characterized and its role analyzed using p75NGFR null mice and nasal explants. Prenatally, p75NGFR was expressed by GnRH neurons and olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs). In p75NGFR null mice, no change in the number of GnRH cells w...

There is still not an effective treatment for continuous retinal light exposure and subsequent photoreceptor degeneration. Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation has been shown to be neuroprotective in spinal cord, and optic nerve injury and retinitis pigmentosa. However, whether OECs protect rat photoreceptors against light-induced damage and how this may work is unclear. Thus, to el...

The olfactory nerve differs from cranial nerves III-XII in that it contains a specialised type of glial cell, called 'olfactory ensheathing cell' (OEC), rather than Schwann cells. In addition, functional neurogenesis persists postnatally in the olfactory system, i.e. the primary olfactory pathway continuously rebuilds itself throughout adult life. The presence of OECs in the olfactory nerve is ...