Omentum: Power to Heal and Regenerate

Vernik, Jane; Singh, Ashok K.

doi:10.1177/039139880703000203

Cited by 28 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The omentum has long been known to have the power to heal injured organs once it has adhered to the damaged site, either naturally or deliberately by surgery (Cannaday 1948;Liebermann-Meffert 2000;Goldsmith 1994Goldsmith , 1997Goldsmith , 2004Vernik and Singh 2007). We have previously shown that the omentum, especially after its activation by injury, becomes a reservoir of stromal cells that express stem cell markers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stromal cells cultured from omentum express pluripotent markers, produce high amounts of VEGF, and engraft to injured sites

et al. 2008

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When rat omentum becomes activated by intraperitoneal injection of inert polydextran particles, these particles are rapidly surrounded by cells that express markers of adult stem cells (SDF-1alpha, CXCR4, WT-1) and of embryonic pluripotent cells (Oct-4, Nanog, SSEA-1). We have cultured such cells, because they may offer a convenient source of adult stem cells, and have found that they retain stem cell markers and produce high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor for up to ten passages. After systemic or local injection of these cultured cells into rats with acute injury of various organs, the cells specifically engraft at the injured sites. Thus, our experiments show that omental stromal cells can be cultured from activated omentum, and that these cells exhibit stem cell properties enabling them to be used for repair and possibly for the regeneration of damaged tissues.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stromal cells cultured from omentum express pluripotent markers, produce high amounts of VEGF, and engraft to injured sites

et al. 2008

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“…Indeed, it is well known that the omentum, in addition to being a source of growth factors and stem cells, brings about tissue repair by readily vascularizing the injured organs with which it fuses. 1,2 There has been a growing recognition that podocytes, among the glomerular cells (mesangial and endothelial cells being others), are the key to maintaining the health of the glomerulus. This concept is based on experimental data showing that podocytes cannot be replaced after injury in normal adults, whereas endothelial and mesangial cells are able to regenerate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[1][2][3] Surgeons have taken advantage of this property to repair organs by extending and attaching the omentum to fractured bones, severed spinal cords, and even ischemic hearts. [4][5][6][7][8] We previously showed that fusing the omentum to an injured liver caused it to nearly double in size, 9,10 and that pieces of diabetic pancreas placed in the omentum induced new insulin-producing cells.…”

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confidence: 99%

Activated Omentum Slows Progression of CKD

García-Gómez

Pancholi

Patel

et al. 2014

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology

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Stem cells show promise in the treatment of AKI but do not survive long term after injection. However, organ repair has been achieved by extending and attaching the omentum, a fatty tissue lying above the stomach containing stem cells, to various organs. To examine whether fusing the omentum to a subtotally nephrectomized kidney could slow the progression of CKD, we used two groups of rats: an experimental group undergoing 5/6 nephrectomy only and a control group undergoing 5/6 nephrectomy and complete omentectomy. Polydextran gel particles were administered intraperitoneally before suture only in the experimental group to facilitate the fusion of the omentum to the injured kidney. After 12 weeks, experimental rats exhibited omentum fused to the remnant kidney and had lower plasma creatinine and urea nitrogen levels; less glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial injury, and extracellular matrix; and reduced thickening of basement membranes compared with controls. A fusion zone formed between the injured kidney and the omentum contained abundant stem cells expressing stem cell antigen-1, Wilms' tumor 1 (WT-1), and CD34, suggesting active, healing tissue. Furthermore, kidney extracts from experimental rats showed increases in expression levels of growth factors involved in renal repair, the number of proliferating cells, especially at the injured edge, the number of WT-1-positive cells in the glomeruli, and WT-1 gene expression. These results suggest that contact between the omentum and injured kidney slows the progression of CKD in the remnant organ, and this effect appears to be mediated by the presence of omental stem cells and their secretory products.

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“…During the course of the 19th century, however, several investigators recognized that it possessed healing properties. These were later exploited in a variety of surgical procedures designed to facilitate the healing of bone fractures, spinal cord injuries, and heart ischemia [1][2][3][4][5][6] . In previous studies we investigated this process and found that these properties can be enhanced by physically expanding the omentum with foreign particles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The omentum has been called the "policeman of the abdomen" because after traumatic injury it migrates to the injured site, adheres to the wound, and promotes healing [1,2] . These proper ties have found clinical application where the omentum is surgically brought into contact with injured tissues such as ischemic heart, fractured bones, or injured spinal cord [3][4][5][6] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Omentum facilitates liver regeneration

Singh¹,

Pancholi²,

Patel³

et al. 2009

WJG

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AIM:To investigate the mechanism of liver regeneration induced by fusing the omentum to a small traumatic injury created in the liver. We studied three groups of rats. In one group the rats were omentectomized; in another group the omentum was left in situ and was not activated, and in the third group the omentum was activated by polydextran particles. METHODS:We pre-activated the omentum by injecting polydextran particles and then made a small wedge wound in the rat liver to allow the omentum to fuse to the wound. We monitored the regeneration of the liver by determining the ratio of liver weight/body weight, by histological evaluation (including immune staining for cytokeratin-19, an oval cell marker), and by testing for developmental gene activation using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS:There was no liver regeneration in the omentectomized rats, nor was there significant regeneration when the omentum was not activated, even though in this instance the omentum had fused with the liver. In contrast, the liver in the rats with the activated omentum expanded to a size 50% greater than the original, and there was histologically an interlying tissue between the wounded liver and the activated omentum in which bile ducts, containing cytokeratin-19 positive oval cells, extended from the wound edge. In this interlying tissue, oval cells were abundant and appeared to proliferate to form new liver tissue. In rats pre-treated with drugs that inhibited hepatocyte growth, liver proliferation was ongoing, indicating that regeneration of the liver was the result of oval cell expansion. CONCLUSION:Activated omentum facilitates liver regeneration following injury by a mechanism that depends largely on oval cell proliferation.

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Omentum: Power to Heal and Regenerate

Cited by 28 publications

References 29 publications

Stromal cells cultured from omentum express pluripotent markers, produce high amounts of VEGF, and engraft to injured sites

Stromal cells cultured from omentum express pluripotent markers, produce high amounts of VEGF, and engraft to injured sites

Activated Omentum Slows Progression of CKD

Omentum facilitates liver regeneration

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