Bone marrow stromal cells enhance differentiation of cocultured neurosphere cells and promote regeneration of injured spinal cord.
Transplantation of bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) has been regarded as a potential approach for promoting nerve regeneration. In the present study, we investigated the influence of MSCs on spinal cord neurosphere cells in vitro and on the regeneration of injured spinal cord in vivo by grafting. MSCs from adult rats were cocultured with fetal spinal cord-derived neurosphere cells by either cell mixing or making monolayered-feeder cultures. In the mixed cell cultures, neuroshpere cells were stimulated to develop extensive processes. In the monolayered-feeder cultures, numerous processes from neurosphere cells appeared to be attracted to MSCs. In an in vivo experiment, grafted MSCs promoted the regeneration of injured spinal cord by enhancing tissue repair of the lesion, leaving apparently smaller cavities than in controls. Although the number of grafted MSCs gradually decreased, some treated animals showed remarkable functional recovery. These results suggest that MSCs might have profound effects on the differentiation of neurosphere cells and be able to promote regeneration of the spinal cord by means of grafting.
Wu
Sufan
S
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
Suzuki
Yoshihisa
Y
Ejiri
Yoko
Y
Noda
Toru
T
Bai
Hongliang
H
Kitada
Masaaki
M
Kataoka
Kazuya
K
Ohta
Masayoshi
M
Chou
Hirotomi
H
Ide
Chizuka
C
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000637:transplantation; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005333:Fetus; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000637:transplantation