title: Therapeutic potential of in utero mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) transplantation in rat foetuses with spina bifida aperta.
abstract: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are complex congenital malformations resulting from incomplete neurulation in embryo. Despite surgical repair of the defect, most of the patients who survive with NTDs have a multiple system handicap due to neuron deficiency of the defective spinal cord. In this study, we successfully devised a prenatal surgical approach and transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to foetal rat spinal column to treat retinoic acid induced NTDs in rat. Transplanted MSCs survived, grew and expressed markers of neurons, glia and myoblasts in the defective spinal cord. MSCs expressed and perhaps induced the surrounding spinal tissue to express neurotrophic factors. In addition, MSC reduced spinal tissue apoptosis in NTD. Our results suggested that prenatal MSC transplantation could treat spinal neuron deficiency in NTDs by the regeneration of neurons and reduced spinal neuron death in the defective spinal cord.
authors: Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Fei
authors: F
authors: Gao
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Ma
authors: Junhong
authors: J
authors: Jiang
authors: Jianing
authors: J
authors: Miao
authors: Mingyu
authors: M
authors: Jiang
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Fan
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Di
authors: D
authors: Wu
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Liu
authors: Weilin
authors: W
authors: Wang
authors: Vincent Chi Hang
authors: VC
authors: Lui
authors: Zhengwei
authors: Z
authors: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008845:Microinjections; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016137:Spina Bifida Cystica / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D014212:Tretinoin