Lindsay, SusanAlamoudi, Wesal2024-10-152024https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14154/73248Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune mediated demyelinating disease that occurs in the central nervous system (CNS). The loss of myelin creates a disturbance in the flow of the electrical signals in the nerve cells leading to a range of neurological symptoms. Currently, only the inflammatory component is managed with no cure for the disease itself. A possible therapeutic approach is stem-cell based therapies. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) have been considered, but have limitations in promoting myelination. A newer approach is to utilize olfactory mucosa-derived MSCs (OM-MSCs) since they exist in a neurogenetic niche and provide more myelination enhancement. In this investigation, an in vitro and in vivo comparison of BM-MSCs and OM-MSCs was undertaken. OM-MSC condition media (CM) showed significant outcomes regarding OPC differentiation and the promotion of myelination in vitro. In the animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), OM-MSC transplanted animals had reduced inflammation, myelin loss and astrocyte reactivity unlike BM-MSCs. This study also investigated the effect of OM-MSC-CM on IL-16-induced astrocyte reactivity in vitro. However, there was no significant effect. Taken together, our findings suggest that OM-MSCs should be considered as a therapeutic candidate to promote myelin repair in MS.32enCentral Nervous System RepairOlfactory Mesenchymal Stromal CellsDemyelinationMyelinationMultiple SclerosisCNSMSEAE ModelOM-MSCsBM-MSCsInterleukin-16IL-16Thesis