Schwann cell-like remyelination following transplantation of human umbilical cord blood (hUCB)-derived mesenchymal stem cells in dogs with acute spinal cord injury.
Human umbilical cord blood derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) have significant therapeutic potential in cell-based therapies following spinal cord injury (SCI). To evaluate this potential, we conducted our preliminary investigations on the remyelination of injured spinal cords with hUCB-MSC transplantations and we observed its long term effects on dogs with SCI. Of the ten injured dogs, seven were transplanted with hUCB-MSCs 1 week after SCI, whereas the remaining three dogs were not transplanted. Two transplanted dogs died over the first month after transplantation because of urinary tract infection, bedsores and sepsis. The SCI dogs showed no improvement in motor and sensory functions and their urinary dysfunction persisted until they were euthanized (from 3 months to 1 year) while hind-limb recovery in 4 dogs among the five transplanted dogs was significantly improved. In the recovered dogs, functional recovery was sustained for three years following transplantation. Histological results from five transplanted dogs showed that many axons were remyelinated by P0-positive myelin sheaths after transplantation. Our results suggest that transplantation of hUCB-derived MSCs may have beneficial therapeutic effects. Furthermore, histological results provided the first in vivo evidence that hUCB-MSCs are able to enhance the remyelination of peripheral-type myelin sheaths following SCI.
Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143-701, Republic of Korea.
Jae-Hoon
JH
Lee
Wook-Hun
WH
Chung
Eun-Hee
EH
Kang
Dai-Jung
DJ
Chung
Chi-Bong
CB
Choi
Hwa-Seok
HS
Chang
Jong-Hwan
JH
Lee
Soo-Han
SH
Hwang
Hoon
H
Han
Bo-Young
BY
Choe
Hwi-Yool
HY
Kim
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*