title: The effect of long-term release of Shh from implanted biodegradable microspheres on recovery from spinal cord injury in mice.
abstract: After spinal cord injury (SCI), loss of cells and damage to ascending and descending tracts can result in paralysis. Current treatments for SCI are based on patient stabilization, and much-needed regenerative therapies are still under development. To activate and instruct stem and progenitor cells or injured tissue to aid SCI repair, it is important to modify the injury environment for a protracted period, to allow time for cell activation, proliferation and appropriate fate differentiation. Shh plays a critical role in spinal cord formation, being involved in multiple processes: it promotes production of motor neurons and oligodendrocytes from ventral cord progenitor cells and serves as an axon guidance molecule. Hence Shh is a candidate pleiotropic beneficial environmental factor for spinal cord regeneration. Here we show that administration of biodegradable microspheres that provide sustained, controlled delivery of Shh resulted in significant functional improvement in two different mouse models of SCI: contusion and dorsal hemioversection. The mechanism is multifactorial, involving increased proliferation of endogenous NG2+ oligodendrocyte lineage cells, decreased astrocytic scar formation and increased sprouting and growth of corticospinal (CST) and raphespinal tract (RST) fibers. Thus, long-term administration of Shh is a potential valuable therapeutic intervention for SCI.
authors.affiliation: Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA. natashalowry@nynsci.org
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lowry
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Goderie
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lederman
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Charniga
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gooch
authors.forename: Kristina D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Gracey
authors.forename: Akhilesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Supriya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Punyani
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: Ravi S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: Jeffrey H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Temple
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008863:Microspheres; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid