Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), a specialized type of glia in the olfactory system, have been extensively investigated because of their ability to promote axonal growth, and they have been successfully used in transplants for treating spinal cord injury (SCI) in animals and humans. Transplantation of OECs has been considered one of the most promising therapeutic strategies for SCI. The neural repair-promoting properties of OECs have been ascertained by a number of important advances both in vitro and in vivo. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that olfactory ensheathing cells conditioned medium (OECs-CM) can promote axonal regeneration and improve the functional recovery of SCI rats, in a manner similar to that of OECs. Therefore, OECs-CM therapy has been used as a novel cell-free-based therapeutic strategy for SCI. However, the molecular mechanisms of OECs-CM treatment for SCI remain partly speculative. In this article, we summarize the properties of OECs-CM and its potential therapeutic effect on spinal cord injury. A better understanding of the properties of OECs-CM will be beneficial to discover the underlying mechanisms whereby OECs-CM exerts its neural repair-promoting function, and it is important to enable OECs-CM to play a greater role in treating nerve injury.

Keywords: Culture Media, Conditioned, Nerve Regeneration, olfactory bulb, Olfactory Mucosa, Spinal Cord Injuries