通過確定一群特定鼻細(xì)胞的胚胎起源，科學(xué)家可能幫助一種有前景但是也有問題的再生受損神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)組織的療法,。此前的研究已經(jīng)證明了包裹并隔離嗅覺神經(jīng)的嗅鞘細(xì)胞（OECs）在移植到脊髓損傷處之后能刺激神經(jīng)細(xì)胞的修復(fù),。
但是盡管嗅鞘細(xì)胞（OECs）可以從鼻腔粘膜中培養(yǎng),，這種組織也含有治療效果更低的外周神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)細(xì)胞，無法把它們與嗅鞘細(xì)胞（OECs）區(qū)分開來,。Clare Baker及其同事對鳥和小鼠使用移植和遺傳技術(shù),，追蹤了嗅鞘細(xì)胞（OECs）的神經(jīng)嵴起源，神經(jīng)嵴是在早期胚胎發(fā)育的一群干細(xì)胞,。
目前的理論認(rèn)為嗅鞘細(xì)胞（OECs）直接從鼻襯里分化出來,。這組作者說，但是這項發(fā)現(xiàn)——即與大多數(shù)其它外周神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)細(xì)胞類似的嗅鞘細(xì)胞（OECs）起源于神經(jīng)嵴——可能幫助新的研究嘗試直接用成年神經(jīng)嵴干細(xì)胞培養(yǎng)嗅鞘細(xì)胞（OECs）,，而這些干細(xì)胞存在于毛囊和皮膚中,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦英文摘要：
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1012248107
Neural crest origin of olfactory ensheathing glia
Perrine Barrauda, Anastasia A. Seferiadisa, Luke D. Tysona, Maarten F. Zwarta,1, Heather L. Szabo-Rogersb, Christiana Ruhrbergc, Karen J. Liub, and Clare V. H. Bakera,2
aDepartment of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, United Kingdom;
bDepartment of Craniofacial Development, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, United Kingdom; and
cUniversity College London Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, United Kingdom
Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are a unique class of glial cells with exceptional translational potential because of their ability to support axon regeneration in the central nervous system. Although OECs are similar in many ways to immature and nonmyelinating Schwann cells, and can myelinate large-diameter axons indistinguishably from myelination by Schwann cells, current dogma holds that OECs arise from the olfactory epithelium. Here, using fate-mapping techniques in chicken embryos and genetic lineage tracing in mice, we show that OECs in fact originate from the neural crest and hence share a common developmental heritage with Schwann cells. This explains the similarities between OECs and Schwann cells and overturns the existing dogma on the developmental origin of OECs. Because neural crest stem cells persist in adult tissue, including skin and hair follicles, our results also raise the possibility that patient-derived neural crest stem cells could in the future provide an abundant and accessible source of autologous OECs for cell transplantation therapy for the injured central nervous system.
