Human mesenchymal stem cell transplantation promotes functional recovery following acute spinal cord injury in rats.
Many attempts have been made in animals to produce cellular regeneration in the spinal cord using a variety of transplanted cell types. The present study was to investigate whether transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) into the spinal cord after contusion injury promotes a functional outcome. Spinal cord injury (SCI) was induced using an NYU impactor and hMSCs were transplanted 1 week after SCI. Behavioral testing was performed weekly for 2 months. Somatosensory (SSEPs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded to determine functional recovery. Hindlimb performance was modestly improved in the transplanted group based on BBB scaling and pain tests. SSEP latencies in the transplanted group were significantly shorter than in the media-treated group. Pathologically, LacZ and hTau positive cells were located at the injury and adjacent sites. The data indicate improvement in functional outcome in animals treated with hMSC transplantation compared to media-treated animals.
Lee
Kyung Hee
KH
Department of Physiology and Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
Suh-Kim
Haeyoung
H
Choi
Ji Soo
JS
Jeun
Sin-Soo
SS
Kim
Eun Jin
EJ
Kim
Sung-Soo
SS
Yoon
Do Heum
DH
Lee
Bae Hwan
BH
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002648:Child; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins