Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are a special glia that ensheath olfactory receptor axons that enter the brain via olfactory phila, thus, providing a potential route for access of pathogens. Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp), that has a capsule rich in mannosyl residues, is the most common cause of rhinosinusitis that may evolve to meningitis. We have tested whether OECs in vitro express the man...

The molecular mechanisms used by olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) to promote repair in the damaged adult mammalian CNS remain unknown. Thus, we used microarrays to analyze three OEC populations with different capacities to promote axonal regeneration in cultured rat retinal neurons. Gene expression in "long-term cultured OECs" that do not stimulate adult axonal outgrowth was compared with tha...

Schwann cell (SC) and olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation has been shown experimentally to promote CNS axonal regeneration and remyelination. To advance this technique into a clinical setting it is important to be able to follow the fates of transplanted cells by noninvasive imaging. Previous studies, using complex modification processes to enable uptake of contrast agents, have sh...

OBJECTIVE The number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) that can be obtained from adult bone marrow and peripheral blood to treat cardiovascular diseases is limited. The goal was to examine the endothelial potential of Wharton jelly in human umbilical cord (WJC)-derived stem cells and evaluate their potential to affect neointimal formation after vascular injury. METHODS AND RESULTS Mesenc...

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 ...

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...

Polymeric biomaterials based on polyurethane and polylactide blends are promising candidates for regenerative medicine applications as biocompatible, bioresorbable carriers. In current research we showed that 80/20 polyurethane/polylactide blends (PU/PLDL) with confirmed biological properties in vitro may be further improved by the addition of ZnO nanoparticles for the delivery of bioactive zin...

In an ongoing clinical trial, a spinal injured patient who received a transplant of autologous cells cultured from the olfactory bulb is showing greater functional benefit than three previous patients with transplants of mucosal origin. Previous laboratory studies of transplantation into rat spinal cord injuries show that the superior reparative benefits of bulbar over mucosal cultures are asso...

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to be involved in control of the oviductal microenvironment. To elucidate the potential mechanisms responsible for the detrimental effect of heat stress and to identify the relation with the endocrine status, the effects of EGF on the level of phosphorylated mitogen-activated-protein kinase (MAPK) and proliferation of bovine oviductal epithelial cell...

Transplantations of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have been reported to promote axonal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury, but have demonstrated limited growth promotion of rat rubrospinal axons after a cervical dorsolateral funiculus crush. Rubrospinal neurons undergo massive atrophy after cervical axotomy and show only transient expression of regeneration-assoc...