Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Jan 26, 2015; 7(1): 51-64
Published online Jan 26, 2015. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v7.i1.51
Current progress in use of adipose derived stem cells in peripheral nerve regeneration
Shomari DL Zack-Williams, Peter E Butler, Deepak M Kalaskar
Shomari DL Zack-Williams, Peter E Butler, Deepak M Kalaskar, Centre for Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom
Peter E Butler, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust Hospital, NW3 2QG London, United Kingdom
Author contributions: All authors have contributed equally to the manuscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Deepak M Kalaskar, Centre for Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, 9th Floor, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, NW3 2PF London, United Kingdom. d.kalaskar@ucl.ac.uk
Telephone: +44-020-77940500
Received: July 28, 2014
Peer-review started: July 29, 2014
First decision: August 14, 2014
Revised: October 20, 2014
Accepted: October 28, 2014
Article in press: December 16, 2014
Published online: January 26, 2015
Abstract

Unlike central nervous system neurons; those in the peripheral nervous system have the potential for full regeneration after injury. Following injury, recovery is controlled by schwann cells which replicate and modulate the subsequent immune response. The level of nerve recovery is strongly linked to the severity of the initial injury despite the significant advancements in imaging and surgical techniques. Multiple experimental models have been used with varying successes to augment the natural regenerative processes which occur following nerve injury. Stem cell therapy in peripheral nerve injury may be an important future intervention to improve the best attainable clinical results. In particular adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) are multipotent mesenchymal stem cells similar to bone marrow derived stem cells, which are thought to have neurotrophic properties and the ability to differentiate into multiple lineages. They are ubiquitous within adipose tissue; they can form many structures resembling the mature adult peripheral nervous system. Following early in vitro work; multiple small and large animal in vivo models have been used in conjunction with conduits, autografts and allografts to successfully bridge the peripheral nerve gap. Some of the ADSC related neuroprotective and regenerative properties have been elucidated however much work remains before a model can be used successfully in human peripheral nerve injury (PNI). This review aims to provide a detailed overview of progress made in the use of ADSC in PNI, with discussion on the role of a tissue engineered approach for PNI repair.

Keywords: Peripheral nerve injury, Adipose derived stem cells, Cell based therapies, Stem cells

Core tip: Adipose derived stem cell differentiation is an area of important active research at present. Since adipose tissue is ubiquitous throughout the body it is an ideal source of cells for regeneration of damaged body parts. In the peripheral nervous system there are currently significant limitations in the methods of treatment and subsequent rehabilitation. Adipose stem cells can express proteins which are similar to schwann cells and are termed schwann like cells. In this review we provide an update on the current methods used in peripheral nerve reconstruction using adipose stem cells.