The human nose harbours a niche of olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells displaying neurogenic and osteogenic properties

We previously identified multipotent stem cells within the lamina propria of the human olfactory mucosa, located in the nasal cavity. We also demonstrated that this cell type differentiates into neural cells and improves locomotor behavior after transplantation in a rat model of Parkinsons disease. Yet, next to nothing is known about their specific stemness characteristics. We therefore devised a study aiming to compare olfactory lamina propria stem cells from 4 individuals to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from 4 age- and gendermatched individuals. Using pangenomic microarrays and immunostaining with 34 cell surface marker antibodies, we show here that olfactory stem cells are closely related to bone marrow stem cells. However, olfactory stem cells exhibit also singular traits. By means of techniques such as proliferation assay, cDNA microarrays, RT-PCR, in vitro and in vivo differentiation, we report that, when compared to bone marrow stem cells, olfactory stem cells display i) a high proliferation rate; ii) a propensity to differentiate into osseous cells and iii) a disinclination to give rise to chondrocytes and adipocytes. Since peripheral olfactory stem cells originate from a neural crest-derived tissue and, as shown here, exhibit an increased expression of neural cellrelated genes, we propose to name them olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells (OE-MSC). Further studies are now required to corroborate the therapeutic potential of OE-MSCs in animal models of bone and brain diseases.

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Delorme B, Nivet E, Gaillard J, Häupl T, Ringe J, Devèze A, Magnan J, Sohier J, Khrestchatisky M, Roman FS, Charbord P, Sensebé L, Layrolle P, Féron F