Advancithe Secretory Role of OECs in Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating type of neurotraumatic state of the central nervous system (CNS) with high mortality and long-term disability. Due to growing prevalence of SCI, combined with the severe incapacitation of the limbs below the level of injury, SCI has imposed considerable physical and psychological stress to victims and huge economic burden on both families and society. Pathophysiologically, SCI is typically categorized into two distinct phases: primary and secondary injury. The primary injury causes immediate disruption of the blood-spinal cord barrier, triggering the release of numerous pro-inflammatory factors. This inflammatory cascade can lead to persistent infection and exacerbated inflammation, which significantly hinder functional recovery. Therefore, effectively mitigating the inflammatory responses is considered a critical therapeutic strategy for improving outcomes after SCI. Among the various therapeutic strategies for treatment of SCI, olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), a unique type of glial cells, have received considerable interest in the field of cell-based therapy for SCI. Emerging evidence indicates that the anti-inflammatory effects of OECs are closely linked to their intrinsic secretory profile and immunomodulatory properties, which play a crucial role in ameliorating the detrimental microenvironment by injured nerves. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms underlying the secretory roles of OECs in enhancing neural regeneration is of great clinical significance. This review aims to summarize recent advances in molecular characteristics of OECs and the molecular mechanisms of their secretory functions in mitigating neural injury.