A study carried out by researchers at the Kyoto University School of
Medicine and published in the current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION
(Vol.16 No. 8) has shown that when transplanted bone marrow cells
(BMCs) containing adult stem cells are protected by a 15mm silicon
tube and nourished with bio-engineered materials, they successfully
help regenerate damaged nerves. The research may provide an
important step in developing artificial nerves.
"We focused on the vascular and neurochemical environment within the
tube," said Tomoyuki Yamakawa, MD, the study's lead author. "We
thought that BMCs containing adult stem cells, with the potential to
differentiate into bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, or neuronal cells,
could survive by obtaining oxygen and nutrients, with the result
that rates of cell differentiation and regeneration would improve."
Nourished with bioengineered additives, such as growth factors and
cell adhesion molecules, the BMCs after 24 weeks differentiated into
cells with characteristics of Schwann cells - a variety of neural
cell that provides the insulating myelin around the axons of
peripheral nerve cells. The new cells successfully regenerated axons
and extended their growth farther across nerve cell gaps toward
damaged nerve stumps, with healthier vascularity.
"The differentiated cells, similar to Schwann cells, contributed
significantly to the promotion of axon regeneration through the
tube," explained Yamakawa. "This success may be a further step in
developing artificial nerves."
Grafting self-donated (autologous) nerve cells to damaged nerves has
been widely practiced and considered the "gold standard." However,
autologous cells for transplant are in limited supply. Allologous
cells, donated by other individuals, require the host to take heavy
immunosuppressant drugs.
Artificial nerves, cultured from a variety of cells and transplanted
to nerve damaged areas, have been considered as alternatives to
nerve grafting. However, prior to this research, cells cultured for
this purpose have generally not been very successful in regenerating
axons with sufficient vascularity or length to bridge nerve gaps.
"This technique for implanting BMCs containing adult stem cells at
damaged nerve sites as employed by the Kyoto researchers has opened
up new possibilities for nerve regeneration,
PhD, D.Sc., Distinguished Professor at University of South Florida
Health and co-editor-in-
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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