Regenerative effects of human embryonic stem cell ‐derived neural crest cells for treatment of peripheral nerve injury.

In this study, neural crest cells were differentiated from human embryonic stem cells. The differentiated cells exhibited typical stellate morphology and protein expression signatures that were comparable to native neural crest. Conditioned media harvested from the differentiated cells contained a range of biologically active trophic factors and was able to stimulate in vitro neurite outgrowth. Differentiated neural crest cells were seeded into a biodegradable nerve conduit and their regeneration potential was assessed in a rat sciatic nerve injury model. A robust regeneration front was observed across the entire width of the conduit seeded with the differentiated neural crest cells. Moreover, the up‐regulation of several regeneration‐related genes was observed within the dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord segments harvested from transplanted animals. Our results demonstrate that the differentiated neural crest cells are biologically active and provide trophic support to stimulate peripheral nerve regeneration. Differentiated neural crest cells are therefore promising supporting cell candidates to aid in peripheral nerve repair.
Source: Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research