Promoting Nerve Regeneration in a Neurotmesis Rat Model Using Poly( DL-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone) Membranes and Mesenchymal Stem Cells from the Wharton's Jelly: In Vitro and In Vivo Analysis

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2014

Authors

Pereira, T (Author) Other; Gaertner, A (Author) Other; Amorim, I (Author) Other; Almeida, A (Author) Other; Caseiro, AR (Author) Other; Paulo A S Armada da Silva (Author) Other; Sandra Amado (Author) Other; Federica Fregnan (Author) Other; Varejao, ASP (Author) Other; Santos, JD (Author) FEUP; Bartolo, PJ (Author) Other; Geuna, S (Author) Other; Luis, AL (Author) Other; Mauricio, AC (Author) Other

Journal

Title: BioMed Research International

Vol. 2014

Pages: 1-17

ISSN: 2314-6133

Publisher: Hindawi

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 26 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 28 Citations

Pubmed / Medline

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Other medical sciences

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Biomaterial engineering

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-009-NBE

DOI: 10.1155/2014/302659

Abstract (EN): In peripheral nerves MSCs can modulate Wallerian degeneration and the overall regenerative response by acting through paracrine mechanisms directly on regenerating axons or upon the nerve-supporting Schwann cells. In the present study, the effect of human MSCs from Wharton's jelly (HMSCs), differentiated into neuroglial-like cells associated to poly (DL-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone) membrane, on nerve regeneration, was evaluated in the neurotmesis injury rat sciatic nerve model. Results in vitro showed successful differentiation of HMSCs into neuroglial-like cells, characterized by expression of specific neuroglial markers confirmed by immunocytochemistry and by RT-PCR and qPCR targeting specific genes expressed. In vivo testing evaluated during the healing period of 20 weeks, showed no evident positive effect of HMSCs or neuroglial-like cell enrichment at the sciatic nerve repair site on most of the functional and nerve morphometric predictors of nerve regeneration although the nociception function was almost normal. EPT on the other hand, recovered significantly better after HMSCs enriched membrane employment, to values of residual functional impairment compared to other treated groups. When the neurotmesis injury can be surgically reconstructed with an end-to-end suture or by grafting, the addition of a PLC membrane associated with HMSCs seems to bring significant advantage, especially concerning the motor function recovery.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 17