Background: Peripheral nerves have limited self-restoration ability, but targeted nerve regeneration can be increased by growth factors and stem cells. This study investigated the effects of umbilical cord stroma stem cells grown on nano poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) scaffolds of Cichorium intybus L. to repair severed sciatic nerve of male Wistar rats.
Materials methods: Isolation of umbilical cord stroma stem cells, and primary culture was done. After extracting from Cichorium intybus L., a PLGA scaffold was fabricated. 45 male Wistar rats (230-260 g) were divided into 9 groups (G1= healthy control, G2=sciatic nerve injury(sni), G3=sni treated with umbilical cord cells(ucc), G4= snj treated with Cichorium intybus L(cil), G5= snj treated with cil.+ ucc, G6 = snj treated with cil +PLGA scaffold, G7=snj with PLGA scaffold, G8= snj treated with PLGA scaffold+ucc, G9= snj treated with cil + PLGA scaffold+ ucc. After eight weeks of treatment, the evaluation of sciatic nerve damage repair included electrophysiological, sciatic functional index and Other indicators
  examination.
Results: In the group treated with cil.+PLGA +ucc, sciatic nerve repair was observed with an increase in nerve conduction velocity (m/s), amplitude muscle action potential (mv), number of (vessels and fiber), most significant area of vessels, myeline, axon, and fiber (1000 micro m2) and a decrease in statistic functional index (0 to -50) (P<0.0001).
Conclusion: The transplantation of ucc leads to the repair of the severed sciatic nerve. Also, the PLGA acts as a scaffolding to place cord stem cells and cil by reducing inflammation caused by surgery.