Dental pulp stem cells restored damaged nerves
Damage to peripheral nerves caused by injuries or complications of surgical interventions can lead to serious disability. Effective recovery of such injuries can be achieved by transplantation of autologous (own) fragments of nerve fibers, however, this may be accompanied by loss of sensitivity in the "donor" part of the patient's body.
In search of an alternative approach, Japanese researchers transplanted mobilized stem cells of human dental pulp into laboratory rats with sciatic nerve injuries. Cells were isolated from teeth removed for various reasons in adults aged 18-29 years.
The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of the procedure proposed by the authors with the effectiveness of the "gold standard", transplantation of autologous (own) nerves, and the control procedure – implantation of collagen scaffolds.
Observations of animals that underwent these procedures showed that the introduction of pulp stem cells ensured the regeneration of myelinated nerve fibers, the density of processes (axons) of which was higher than in the autograft group and the control group. Also, the group that received stem cell injections was characterized by increased vascularization (formation of new blood vessels) of the injury zone, but there were no statistically significant differences from the autograft group for this indicator.
The implanted pulp stem cells did not differentiate into Schwann cells involved in many aspects of the functioning and vital activity of peripheral nerves. However, immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that the introduction of stem cells reduced apoptosis and stimulated the proliferation and migration of Schwann cells preserved in the damaged area. The authors suggested that this is due to neurotrophic factors secreted by stem cells and subsequently demonstrated the effect of these factors on Schwann cells in in vitro experiments.
Based on the data obtained, the researchers concluded that the mobilized stem cells of the dental pulp contribute to the regeneration of peripheral nerves due to the secretion of neurotrophic and angiogenic factors affecting Schwann cells (stimulating the formation of new blood vessels). They hope that in the future the introduction of these cells can replace the transplantation of autologous fragments of nerve fibers in the treatment of peripheral nerve damage. However, further research needs to be done to assess the functional effects of this approach.
Article by Yamamoto T. et al. The Trophic Effects of Dental Pulp Stem Cells on Schwann Cells in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration is published in the journal Cell Transplantation.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru
13.07.2015