Olfactory Stem Cells From Adult Rats

The study investigated the potential of rat olfactory stem cells to form neurospheres, demonstrating that the adult rat olfactory mucosa could generate neurospheres when cultured with EGF and bFGF. These neurospheres exhibited self-renewal, forming six generations and expressing self-renewal markers. The multipotency of these cells was shown by their ability to differentiate into dopaminergic cells, skeletal muscle myotubes, and adipocytes under specific conditions. The findings concluded that adult rat olfactory mucosa contained a true stem cell population capable of self-renewal and multipotency when provided with an appropriate environmental niche.