 Olfactory
ensheathing cell (OEC) development and function is being
probed in our lab by Edmund Au, Miranda Richter, Ed
Cheung, Cath Cowan and Nicole Janzen. OECs retain the
primarily embryonic role of being permissive to axon
growth in an adult environment, and have recently been
shown to be also effective in promoting spinal cord
lesion repair. Despite this, little is known about their
development, their role in guiding olfactory axons and
how our understanding of these mechanisms may guide
their use elsewhere in repair strategies, such as the
lesioned spinal cord.
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A
thorough understanding of OEC basic developmental biology
in vitro and in vivo will be key understanding not only the
signals which nervous system progenitors follow to commit
to a glial lineage, but also to test mechanisms of permissive
axonal growth in both the embryonic and mature nervous system.
In this context, we are examining glial migration (Cath),
secreted factors from lamina-propria-derived OECs that promote
outgrowth and protection (Edmund), transplantation into lesioned
spinal cord in collaboration with the Tetzlaff Lab (Miranda
with Brian Kwon), human OECs (Nicole).
Transplanted
Olfactory Ensheathing Cells from the Lamina Propria expressing
green fluorescent protein (GFP) can ameliorate the immediate
damage caused by spinal cord injury. LP-OECs interact with
endogenous astrocytes, schwann cells and neurons to promote
sprouting and minimize the production of a cavity and scar
barrier to regeneration.