Intranasally applied human olfactory mucosa neural progenitor cells migrate to damaged brain regions

To determine if intranasally administered olfactory mucosa progenitor cells (OMPCs) migrate to damaged areas of brain.Rowett Nude (RNU) adult rats were injured using the Marmarou model then 2 weeks later received intranasally-delivered human OMPC. After 3 weeks, rats were sacrificed and brain sectioned. The mean distances from the human OMPCs to markers for degenerative neuronal cell bodies (p-c-Jun+), axonal swellings on damaged axons (β-APP+) and random points in immunostained sections were quantified. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze data.The human OMPCs were seen in specific areas of the brain near degenerating cell bodies and damaged axons.Intranasally delivered human OMPC selectively migrate to brain injury sites suggesting a possible noninvasive stem cell delivery for brain injury.