Analysis of human olfactory and mesenchymal stem cells in contact with cerebrospinal fluid in an inflammatory environment: in vitro model of the damaged spinal cord as a basic prerequisite for cell therapies after traumatic spinal cord lesions

Status:

ongoing

Aims:

The project will investigate the behaviour of olfactory stem cells (OSC) and olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) in an inflammatory CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) environment in comparison to mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow (BM-MSC). The results of this project are a basic prerequisite for human, cell therapeutic approaches in spinal cord injury patients. Before safe cell application can take place, the effects of the inflammatory CSF environment on the cells to be transplanted must be investigated in detail in order to exclude possible adverse reactions and undesired cell differentiation. It is therefore particularly important to determine such effects in the preclinical phase.

Activities/Methods:

The isolation and purification of olfactory cell fractions from nasal mucosa biopsies has already been established and is standardized in the surgical research laboratories (project FR256). The behaviour of olfactory cells in CSF has also been studied in detail (project FR309). In the present research project, the inflammatory environment of the injured spinal cord is simulated in-vitro using established cellular models, such as the stimulation of isolated peripheral leukocytes with bacterial toxins to obtain a cell-free inflammatory supernatant. Subsequently, the effects on cell behavior including cell viability and proliferation (live/dead staining, AlamarBlue, EdU), release of bioactive (neurotrophic) factors (ELISA) and cell functionality (cell migration, phagocytosis, cell differentiation) will be investigated. The findings will be used to better assess the risk of adverse reactions after implantation at the spinal cord lesion site.

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