In this study, we aim to demonstrate the fate of allogenic adult human olfactory bulb neural stem/progenitor cells (OBNSC/NPCs) transplanted into the rat hippocampus treated with ibotenic acid (IBO). We assessed their possible ability to survive, integrate, proliferate, and differentiate into different neuronal and glial elements: we also evaluate their possible therapeutic potential following their engraftment into the CNS milieu. OBNSC/NPCs were isolated from adult human olfactory bulb patients, genetically engineered to express GFP and human nerve growth factor (hNGF) by lentivirus-mediated infection, and stereotaxically transplanted into the hippocampus of IBO-treated animals. Stereological analysis of engrafted OBNSCs eight weeks post transplantation revealed a 1.89 fold increase with respect to the initial cell population, indicating a marked ability for survival and proliferation. This work demonstrated that human OBNSCs-NGF ameliorate the cognitive deficiencies associated with IBO-induced lesions in AD model rats, and the improvement can probably be attributed primarily to neuronal and glial cell replacement as well as the trophic influence exerted by the secreted NGF.
