Effects of hybridization of decellularized allogenic nerves with adipose-derive stem cell sheets to facilitate nerve regeneration.

We developed a sheet of stem cells derived from adipose tissue (ADSC sheet). To improve transplantation, we wrapped decellularized nerves with ADSC sheets and examined the efficacy of this recellularized nerves in nerve regeneration. Decellularized nerves were prepared from sciatic nerves of Sprague-Dawley rats. Wistar rats were subjected to sciatic nerve injury and then randomly assigned to three groups (n = 7 per group), which were transplanted with 15-mm bridge grafts; the first group received a decellularized allogenic nerve implant, the second an ADSC sheet-wrapped decellularized allogenic nerve implant, and the third an autogenous nerves were implant. No significant differences were found in S100-positive and neurofilament-positive areas, axon density, and sciatic functional index (SFI) score between rats transplanted with ADSC sheet-wrapped nerve grafts and those that received autografts. In contrast, these parameters except SFI and the amplitude ratio were significantly larger in rats grafted with ADSC sheet-wrapped nerve than with the decellularized nerve. These results suggest that the number of regenerating axons, as well as their regenerating velocity, and the number of migrating Schwann cells into the implant in rats transplanted with ADSC sheet-wrapped nerves matched those in rats transplanted with autografts. These positive effects are possibly attributable to secretion of growth factors of ADSCs.