title: Adult bone marrow cells differentiate into neural phenotypes and improve functional recovery in rats following traumatic brain injury.
abstract: This study aims to investigate the therapeutic potential of adult bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Exposed to a cocktail of induction medium, some BMSCs could differentiate into cell types with phenotypes of neural lineages in vitro. These cells expressed neural markers nestin, GFAP, 68-kDa neurofilament and beta-tubulin III as detected by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Fluorescence-labeled cells were injected intravenously at 72 h after traumatic brain injury. Transplanted cells survived and migrated to the ipsilateral cerebral cortex at different time points after injection. They were immunopositive for neuronal marker MAP-2, oligodendrocyte marker CNPase, astrocytic maker GFAP or microglial marker OX-42 in vivo. In rats receiving BMSC transplants, there were significant improvements in motor and neurological functions when compared with the control groups. Hence, the therapeutic potential of BMSCs for traumatic brain injury is further amplified.
authors.affiliation: Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories, 27 Medical Drive, #09-01, Singapore 117510, Singapore. ljia@dso.org.sg
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shabbir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moochhala
authors.forename: Xiao-Lei
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Kian Chye
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Mui Hong
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Lionel Kim Hock
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Beiping
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Meng Cheong
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Eng-Ang
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D015087:2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D014404:Tubulin; D015087:2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases