From the Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine and the Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Normandie University; the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery, Rouen University Hospital; the Department Otorhinolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery, Conception University Hospital; Aix Marseille University, INP, CNRS UMR 7051; and APHM, Culture and Cell Therapy Laboratory.
Plast Reconstr Surg. 2020 Dec;146(6):1295-1305. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000007367.
Posttraumatic facial paralysis is a disabling condition. Current surgical management by faciofacial nerve suture provides limited recovery. To improve the outcome, the authors evaluated an add-on strategy based on a syngeneic transplantation of nasal olfactory stem cells in a rat model of facial nerve injury. The main readouts of the study were the recording of whisking function and buccal synkinesis.
Sixty rats were allocated to three groups. Animals with a 2-mm facial nerve loss were repaired with a femoral vein, filled or not with olfactory stem cells. These two groups were compared to similarly injured rats but with a faciofacial nerve suture. Olfactory stem cells were purified from rat olfactory mucosa. Three months after surgery, facial motor performance was evaluated using video-based motion analysis and electromyography. Synkinesis was assessed by electromyography, using measure of buccal involuntary movements during blink reflex, and double retrograde labeling of regenerating motoneurons.
The authors' study reveals that olfactory stem cell transplantation induces functional recovery in comparison to nontransplanted and faciofacial nerve suture groups. They significantly increase (1) maximal amplitude of vibrissae protraction and retraction cycles and (2) angular velocity during protraction of vibrissae. They also reduce buccal synkinesis, according to the two techniques used. However, olfactory stem cell transplantation did not improve axonal regrowth of the facial nerve, 3 months after surgery.
The authors show here that the adjuvant strategy of syngeneic transplantation of olfactory stem cells improves functional recovery. These promising results open the way for a phase I clinical trial based on the autologous engraftment of olfactory stem cells in patients with a facial nerve paralysis.
外伤性面瘫是一种致残性疾病。目前通过面神经吻合术进行的外科治疗恢复有限。为了改善结果，作者评估了一种基于同种异体嗅干细胞移植的附加策略，该策略应用于面神经损伤大鼠模型。该研究的主要观察指标是记录触须运动和颊部协同运动。
将 60 只大鼠分为三组。2mm 面神经缺失的动物通过股静脉修复，股静脉内填充或不填充嗅干细胞。将这两组与同样受伤但行面神经吻合术的大鼠进行比较。嗅干细胞从大鼠嗅黏膜中纯化。术后 3 个月，使用基于视频的运动分析和肌电图评估面部运动功能。通过肌电图评估协同运动，在眨眼反射期间测量颊部不自主运动，以及再生运动神经元的双重逆行标记。
与未移植和面神经吻合组相比，嗅干细胞移植诱导功能恢复。与未移植和面神经吻合组相比，嗅干细胞移植组显著增加：（1）触须伸展和回缩周期的最大振幅和（2）触须伸展时的角速度。根据两种技术，它们还减少了颊部协同运动。然而，术后 3 个月，嗅干细胞移植并未改善面神经的轴突再生。
作者在这里表明，同种异体嗅干细胞移植的辅助策略可改善功能恢复。这些有希望的结果为基于面神经麻痹患者自体嗅干细胞移植的 I 期临床试验铺平了道路。
