Long-term culture and neuronal survival after intraspinal transplantation of human spinal cord-derived neurospheres.
There is heterogeneity in neural stem and progenitor cell characteristics depending on their species and regional origin. In search for potent in vitro-expanded human neural precursor cells and cell therapy methods to repair the injured human spinal cord, the possible influence exerted by intrinsic cellular heterogeneity has to be considered. Data available on in vitro-expanded human spinal cord-derived cells are sparse and it has previously been difficult to establish long-term neurosphere cultures showing multipotentiality. In the present paper, human spinal cord-derived neurospheres were cultured in the presence of EGF, bFGF and CNTF for up to 25 passages (>350 days) in vitro. In contrast to the human first trimester subcortical forebrain, spinal cord tissue>9.5 weeks of gestation could not serve as a source for long-term neurosphere cultures under the present conditions. After withdrawal of mitogens, cultured neurospheres (at 18 passages) gave rise to cells with neuronal, astrocytic and oligodendrocytic phenotypes in vitro. After transplantation of human spinal cord-derived neurospheres to the lesioned spinal cord of immuno-deficient adult rats, large numbers of cells survived at least up to 6 weeks, expressing neuronal and astrocytic phenotypes. These results demonstrate that it is possible to expand and maintain multipotent human spinal cord-derived neurospheres in vitro for extended time-periods and that they have promising in vivo potential after engraftment to the injured spinal cord.
Akesson
Elisabet
E
Karolinska Institutet, Division of Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Novum, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. elisabet.akesson@ki.se
Piao
Jing-Hua
JH
Samuelsson
Eva-Britt
EB
Holmberg
Lena
L
Kjaeldgaard
Anders
A
Falci
Scott
S
Sundström
Erik
E
Seiger
Ake
A
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D053686:Fetal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000637:transplantation; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000637:transplantation; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous