New serum-derived albumin scaffold seeded with adipose-derived stem cells and olfactory ensheathing cells used to treat spinal cord injured rats

Recent advances in spinal cord injury (SCI) research and cell culture techniques and biomaterials predict promising new treatments for patients with SCI or other nerve injuries. Biomaterial scaffolds form a substrate within which cells are instructed to form a tissue in a controlled manner. This study was designed to assess axon regeneration and locomotor recovery in rats with spinal cord injury treated with a novel serum-derived albumin scaffold seeded with adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) and olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs). OECs are considered promising candidates for the treatment of SCI, and ADSCs have the ability to differentiate into neural lineages. In vitro experiments revealed that ADSCs and OECs adhered to the scaffold, remained viable and expressed specific markers of their cell types when cultured in the scaffold. Rats treated with scaffold plus cells showed locomotor skills at several time points from 45 days post-injury that were improved over those recorded in control injured, untreated animals. Astrocytic scars and tissue regeneration, identified using histological and immunohistochemical techniques, revealed that although the scaffold itself appeared to play a significant role in reducing glial scar formation and filling of the lesion cavity with cells, the presence of ADSCs and OECs in the scaffold led to the appearance of cells expressing markers of neurons and axons at the injury site. Our findings point to the clinical feasibility of an albumin scaffold seeded with ADSCs and OECs as a treatment candidate for use in spinal cord injury repair studies.