title: Use of engineered peripheral nerve autografts for spinal cord repair.
abstract: We developed a clinically compatible protocol for the production of engineered tissue for grafting into the injured spinal cord. We used autologous tissue derived from pre-ligated peripheral nerves, which avoids supply, immunocompatibility and ethical hinderances, combined with non-viral transfection, which is a versatile and non-immunogenic gene transfer method. In-vitro transfection of glial cells or primary tissue from pre-ligated rat peripheral nerve with the neurotrophic gene brain-derived neurotrophic factor significantly enhanced its expression, when quantified or labelled by immunofluorescence. Engineered tissue expressed brain-derived neurotrophic factor after being grafted into the spinal cord of rats that had received spinal contusion injury 3 weeks before. Anatomical and functional assays of repair, conducted on a small cohort, showed that the treatment may promote axonal regeneration and improve motor performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Physiology, Flinders University School of Medicine, Adelaide, Australia. r.tinsley@hfi.unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Rogan B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tinsley
authors.forename: Shu-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shi-Qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rush
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ferguson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D001616:beta-Galactosidase