Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes severe and often permanent impairment of motor and sensory functions. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have been widely studied for their unique ability to promote neural repair following central nervous system injury. In parallel, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising non–cell-based therapeutic strategy. However, the specific role of OEC-derived extracellular vesicles (OEC-EVs) in neural repair remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine whether OEC-EVs can interact with neuronal cells and promote neuroregenerative features in vitro.
OEC-EVs were isolated using fast tangential flow filtration (FTT) and characterised by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Western blotting. Cell viability was assessed using a resazurin assay. Purified OEC-EVs were labelled with DiI and co-cultured with N2a neuroblastoma cells in a transwell system. High-content and live-cell imaging were performed using confocal microscopy to track EV uptake and assess neuronal differentiation.
The results indicated that the characterised OEC-EVs were efficiently uptaken by N2a cells and may promote neuronal differentiation through indirect communication. These findings highlight the potential of OEC-EVs as a cell-free approach for enhancing neuronal repair and provide a foundation for future studies exploring their integration with biomaterial-based delivery systems for nervous system disorders.