New Research Develops Method to Repair Nerves from Nasal Stem Cells
In cases of serious injury, reconstructive surgeons often need Schwann cells to repair damaged nerves. Researchers have a new method to create them. Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
ChE Associate Professors, Abigail Koppes and Ryan Koppes, recently patented a technique that can turn nasal stem cells into Schwann cells, which are used to repair damaged nerves. While doctors often damaging existing nerves to create Schwann cells, this method only involves an outpatient procedure from the patient’s own nose, also reducing the risk of rejection.
This article originally appeared on Northeastern Global News. It was published by Noah Lloyd.
These researchers take stem cells — from your nose — to help nerves regrow in damaged limbs
Two Northeastern University researchers want to make life better for people who’ve experienced serious physical trauma, the kind caused by bad car accidents or from injuries sustained during wartime, such procedures are crucial.
That process takes on an added layer of complication when damage occurs to the nervous system. Physicians turn to Schwann cells, which support the nerves and help repair damaged ones. However, obtaining them usually involves removing nerves from another limb, which can lead to a variety of complications, such as loss of sensation where the surgeon removed the nerve.
A new discovery out of Northeastern University might offer relief. Researchers have developed a way to coax stem cells taken from patients’ nasal cavities into becoming Schwann cells, eliminating the need to remove actual Schwann cells and reducing the risk of side effects.
“We’re getting better at keeping people alive” after they’ve sustained major trauma, says Ryan Koppes, associate professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern, part of the team behind the work. This means that there is more demand than ever for strategies that not only save lives, but also help restore motor function in patients, he says.
The process, as the researchers envision physicians might perform it in a clinical setting, would go like this: A patient who needs reconstructive surgery will have their own stem cells removed from their nasal cavity in a simple, outpatient biopsy procedure. Abigail Koppes, who is also an associate professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern and is part of the team behind the work, says that the biopsy location is near the part of the nasal cavity that feels uncomfortable when someone receives a COVID-19 swab.
Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Stem cells are kind of like a blank slate, says Abigail Koppes, who is also married to Ryan. This means they can turn into other kinds of cells as the body grows, maintains itself or recovers from an injury.
Read full article at Northeastern Global News