OBJECTIVE To identify global research trends in transplantation of neural stem cells, Schwann cells and olfactory ensheathing cells for spinal cord injury. DATA RETRIEVAL We performed a bibliometric analysis of studies on transplantation of neural stem cells, Schwann cells and olfactory ensheathing cells for spinal cord injury published from 2002 to 2011 and retrieved from the Web of Science,...

The neural crest is a transient migratory multipotent cell population that originates from the neural plate border and is formed at the end of gastrulation and during neurulation in vertebrate embryos. These cells give rise to many different cell types of the body such as chondrocytes, smooth muscle cells, endocrine cells, melanocytes, and cells of the peripheral nervous system including differ...

The olfactory ensheathing cell is a specialized glial cell that assists in growth of the axons of the olfactory sensory neurons as they are generated and regenerated throughout adult life. There is increasing evidence in animal models that transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cell promotes recovery after transplantation into the injured spinal cord. Olfactory ensheathing cell transplants ha...

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have become a popular candidate for the transplant-mediated repair of the damaged CNS. In this review a description is made of the origins of these cells and a historical development of their purification and maintenance in culture. In addition, we illustrate the cellular and molecular characteristics of OECs and emphasise that although they share many propert...

Primary olfactory axons grow along a stereotypical pathway from the nasal cavity to the olfactory bulb through an extracellular matrix rich in laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and bounded by the expression of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). This pathway is pioneered by olfactory ensheathing cells, which provide a substrate conducive for axon growth during early devel...

multiple sclerosis (ms) causes loss of the myelin sheath, which leads to loss of neurons. regeneration of myelin sheath stimulates axon regeneration and neurons’ survival. in this study, olfactory ensheathing cell (oec) transplantation is investigated to restore myelin sheath in an experimental model of ms in male mice.oecs were isolated from the olfactory mucosa of seven-day-old infant rats an...

The Drosophila CNS contains a variety of glia, including highly specialized glia that reside at the CNS midline and functionally resemble the midline floor plate glia of the vertebrate spinal cord. Both insect and vertebrate midline glia play important roles in ensheathing axons that cross the midline and secreting signals that control a variety of developmental processes. The Drosophila midlin...

The rodent olfactory systems comprise the main olfactory system for the detection of odours and the accessory olfactory system which detects pheromones. In both systems, olfactory axon fascicles are ensheathed by olfactory glia, termed olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), which are crucial for the growth and maintenance of the olfactory nerve. The growth-promoting and phagocytic characteristics ...

Numerous obstacles to successful regeneration of injured axons in the adult mammalian spinal cord exist. Consequently, a treatment strategy inducing axonal regeneration and significant functional recovery after spinal cord injury has to overcome these obstacles. The current study attempted to address multiple impediments to regeneration by using a combinatory strategy after complete spinal cord...

The mammalian brain contains many subtypes of glia that vary in their morphologies, gene expression profiles, and functional roles; however, the functional diversity of glia in the adult Drosophila brain remains poorly defined. Here we define the diversity of glial subtypes that exist in the adult Drosophila brain, show they bear striking similarity to mammalian brain glia, and identify the maj...