Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and magnetic nanoparticles: different tools combined to promote sciatic nerve regeneration after injury

PAULA A. SOTO; PIÑERO, GONZALO; USACH, VANINA; MARCELA B. FERNÁNDEZ VAN RAAP; PATRICIA SETTON-AVRUJ

Congreso; XXXIV Annual Meeting SAN 2019; 2019

Neuropathies constitute a major issue in public health with a high prevalence worldwide. Patients? poor clinical evolution turns these affections into a crippling disease, which is why the development of new regenerative therapies is of great importance. Wallerian degeneration is an efficient animal experimental model in mimicking the impact of peripheral nerve lesions to shed light on possible regeneration strategies. In this context, the aim of the present work was to test whether magneto targeting, a nanotechnological strategy to mobilize magnetic nanoparticles (MNP), can help adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-loaded MNP (AdMSC-MNP) reach specific tissue guided by an external magnetic field and thus improve the regenerative ability of AdMSC upon sciatic nerve lesion. To test our hypothesis, AdMSC were extensively characterized, and MNP internalization byAdMSC, as well as AdMSC-MNP arrival at the injured nerve, were evaluated through microscopy andmagnetometry. Finally, cell transplantation effects on regeneration were evaluated both in terms of nerve morphology and conduction. Our results show that AdMSC can internalize 2 to 4 pg MNP/cell and that AdMSCMNP magneto targeting enhances cell arrival exclusively at the lesion site and their beneficial effects on sciatic nerve regeneration. In short, our results prove that magneto targeting of AdMSC-MNP constitutes a novel and valuable tool to promote nerve regeneration by enhancing AdMSC arrival at the lesion site.