Functional recovery after rhesus monkey spinal cord injury by transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal-stem cell-derived neurons.
BACKGROUND
The treatment of spinal cord injury is still a challenge. This study aimed at evaluating the therapeutical effectiveness of neurons derived form mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for spinal cord injury.


METHODS
In this study, rhesus MSCs were isolated and induced by cryptotanshinone in vitro and then a process of RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) gene. The induced MSCs were tagged with Hoechst 33342 and injected into the injury site of rhesus spinal cord made by the modified Allen method. Following that, behavior analysis was made after 1 week, 1 month, 2 months and 3 months. After 3 months, true blue chloride retrograde tracing study was also used to evaluate the re-establishment of axons pathway and the hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry were performed after the animals had been killed.


RESULTS
In this study, the expression of mRNA of GAD gene could be found in the induced MSCs but not in primitive MSCs and immunohistochemistry could also confirm that rhesus MSCs could be induced and differentiated into neurons. Behavior analysis showed that the experimental animals restored the function of spinal cord up to grade 2-3 of Tarlov classification. Retrograde tracing study showed that true blue chollide could be found in the rostral thoracic spinal cords, red nucleus and sensory-motor cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the transplantation is safe and effective.
Deng
Yu-bin
YB
Department of Pathophysiology, Zhongshan Medical College, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. albert@gzsums.edu.cn
Yuan
Qing-tao
QT
Liu
Xiao-gang
XG
Liu
Xiao-lin
XL
Liu
Yu
Y
Liu
Zu-guo
ZG
Zhang
Cheng
C
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000637:transplantation*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
D007527:Isoenzymes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; C402565:glutamate decarboxylase 1