Stem cell-derived neurons grafted in the striatum are expelled out of the brain after chronic cortical stroke.
OBJECTIVE
In humans and rodents, cortical stroke can lead to cortex atrophy in long-term survivors. In the rodent, fetal brain neural precursors or stem cell-derived neurons grafted in the stroke-lesioned brain integrate successfully and reduce infarct in the short term. We have examined the fate, in the long term, of mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neural precursors grafted after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice.


METHODS
Green fluorescent protein-labeled neural precursors were grafted in the striatum of control and lesioned mice and their fate examined 9 months later.


RESULTS
In control mice, the neuronal progeny of mouse embryonic stem cells innervated distant brain structures, in a way remarkably similar between animals, displayed a laterality preference and remained polysialated neural cell adhesion molecule-immunoreactive. In lesioned mice, grafted cells were expelled out of the brain.


CONCLUSIONS
Stroke-related brain atrophy and reshaping were not prevented by cell grafting and, eventually, led to the expulsion of the graft.
Dubois-Dauphin
Michel
M
Department of Pathology and Immunology, CMU-University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. michel.dubois-dauphin@unige.ch
Julien
Stéphanie
S
D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation