%0 Journal Article
%T Escalated regeneration in sciatic nerve crush injury by the combined therapy of human amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells and fermented soybean extracts, Natto
%A Hung-Chuan Pan
%A Dar-Yu Yang
%A Shu-Peng Ho
%A Meei-Ling Sheu
%A Chung-Jung Chen
%A Shiaw-Min Hwang
%A Ming-Hong Chang
%A Fu-Chou Cheng
%J Journal of Biomedical Science
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1423-0127-16-75
%X Several approaches have been proposed to have beneficial effects on peripheral nerve regeneration, including application of an electric field, transplantation of stem cells, and administration of neurotrophic factors [1-4]. The implantation of embryonic stem cells, neural stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells has been shown to exert beneficial effects on peripheral nerve regeneration. Cell replacement, trophic factor production, extracellular matrix molecule synthesis, guidance, remyelination, microenvironmental stabilization, and immune modulation have recently been proposed as beneficial mechanisms after cell implantation [1,5,6]Recent evidence has shown amniotic fluid to be a novel source of stem cells for therapeutic transplantation. Amniotic fluid-derived stem cells express characteristics of both mesenchymal and neural stem cells [7]. In our previous work, we demonstrated that transplantation of amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells (AFS) promoted peripheral nerve regeneration [2,3]. Furthermore, increased implanted stem cell survival was augmented by the suppression of inflammatory cytokines through the inhibition of inflammatory cell deposits [8,9]. Thus the modulation of inflammatory response could attenuate the apoptotic cascade of the transplanted stem cells, which implicates a significant improvement in nerve regeneration.After sciatic nerve injury, fibrin is deposited at the nerve and its deposition exacerbates nerve damage [10]. Fibrin clearance correlates with regeneration, while fibrin deposition delays nerve regeneration by arresting Schwann cells in a proliferating and non-myelinating state [11]. In addition, fibrin deposited in the sciatic nerve after injury changes the composition of extracellular matrix and inhibits Schwann cell migration [12]. In contrast, inhibition of fibrin deposition reduces macrophage adhesion and decreases cytokine production such as IL-1 and TNF-¦Á, which is in parallel with nerve regeneration [13-16]. Fermented soybeans
%U http://www.jbiomedsci.com/content/16/1/75