Olfactory stem cells (OSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can be isolated from the olfactory mucosa and olfactory bulb and have the capacity to proliferate when cultured on suitable media. Isolation of these cells helps to study their identity before being used as a cell therapy.
The aim of this study is to isolate rat OSCs from olfactory mucosa and olfactory bulb, culture these OSCs in suitable medium to allow for their proliferation.
Results: OSCs were successfully isolated, cultured and expanded in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium with Ham's F12 (DMEM F-12) media supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum (FBS). The cells were characterized morphologically by their spindle shape cytoplasmic processes, plastic adherence tendency and colony formation till the 3rd passage. They were characterized immunohistochemically by their positive expression for CD44 and Nestin and negative expression for CD34.