Lab-grown nose cells could treat spinal cord injuries

Griffith University researchers have designed a new way to grow nose cells in the lab, in a breakthrough that heralds hope for sufferers of spinal cord injuries — including those who are wheelchair bound.

As explained by Griffith PhD candidate Mo Chen, nerve cells in the nose are regularly exposed to trauma, making them very robust. “These nasal cells heal better than many other nerve cells,” he said, “which makes them ideal to treat damaged spinal cords.”

One of the difficulties of this kind of research is growing cells effectively in the laboratory, with Chen noting, “Our bodies are 3D, not 2D, so the best way of growing cells in the lab is 3D.” The good news is that the Griffith team’s method enables the growth of healthy 3D cultures in a short period of time.

The key to the new method is so-called ‘naked liquid marbles’, where cells can grow in an environment that simulates the body. Chen said, “We found that growing olfactory cells on the naked liquid marbles worked particularly well and we can grow very large 3D spheres of cells with a diameter up to 3 mm.

“These spheres of cells can self-assemble into tissues. These tissues are very strong so can be handled and transplanted easily into spinal injury sites.”

After growing olfactory nerve cells in the lab, Chen’s colleagues placed these cells into mice that were suffering from spinal cord injuries. “The mice quickly recovered and could walk again,” he said.

While the results have been positive for mice, spinal cord injuries in humans are more complex, and the researchers are still working on improving the therapy. But their work paves the way for clinical trials anticipated to begin in 2020, using nasal cells from spinal cord injury sufferers and giving hope to many that they may walk again.

In recognition of his work, which has been published in the journal Scientific Reports, Chen has won the 2018 Fresh Science People’s Award (Queensland). The competition takes up-and-coming researchers with no media experience and turns them into spokespeople for science, with a day of media training and a public event in their home state.

Fresh Science Queensland is presented by Econnect Communication, the Queensland Government, Queensland University of Technology, The University of Queensland and Griffith University.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/dima_sidelnikov