The role of undifferentiated adipose-derived stem cells in peripheral nerve repair

Rui Zhang; Joseph M.Rosen

doi:10.4103/1673-5374.232457

摘要：Peripheral nerve injuries impose significant health and economic consequences,yet no surgical repair can deliver a complete recovery of sensory or motor function.Traditional methods of repair are less than ideal:direct coaptation can only be performed when tension-free repair is possible,and transplantation of nerve autograff can cause donor-site morbidity and neuroma formation.Cell-based therapy delivered via nerve conduits has thus been explored as an alternative method of nerve repair in recent years.Stem cells are promising sources of the regenerative core material in a nerve conduit because stem cells are multipotent in function,abundant in supply,and more accessible than the myelinating Schwann cells.Among different types of stem cells,undifferentiated adipose-derived stem cell (uASC),which can be processed from adipose tissue in less than two hours,is a promising yet underexplored cell type.Studies of uASC have emerged in the past decade and have shown that autologous uASCs are non-immunogenic,easy to access,abundant in supply,and efficacious at promoting nerve regeneration.Two theories have been proposed as the primary regenerative mechanisms of uASC:in situ trans-differentiation towards Schwann cells,and secretion of trophic and anti-inflammatory factors.Future studies need to fully elucidate the mechanisms,side effects,and efficacy of uASC-based nerve regeneration so that uASCs can be utilized in clinical settings.