Head and Neck, cilt.38, 2016 (SCI-Expanded)
Background The purpose of this study was to show the efficacy of olfactory stem cells for injured facial nerve reconstruction in a rat model. Methods Olfactory stem cells were isolated from the olfactory mucosa of human participants. A 2-mm excision was performed on the right facial nerve of all rats. Reconstruction was performed with a conduit in group 1 (n = 9); a conduit and phosphate-buffered saline in group 2 (n = 9); and a conduit and labeled olfactory stem cell in group 3 (n = 9). Rats were followed for whisker movements and electroneuronography (ENoG) analyses. Results The whisker-movement scores for group 3 were significantly different from other groups (p <.001). ENoG showed that the amplitude values for group 3 were significantly different from group 1 and group 2 (p =.030; p <.001). Group 3 showed marked olfactory stem cell under a fluorescence microscope. Conclusion This study suggests that olfactory stem cells may be used as a potent cellular therapy for accelerating the regeneration of peripheral nerve injuries.