title: Transplantation of an adipose stem cell cluster in a spinal cord injury.
abstract: We investigated whether transplantation of a three-dimensional cell mass of adipose-derived stem cells (3DCM-ASCs) improved hind limb functional recovery by the stimulation of angiogenesis and neurogenesis in a spinal cord injury. In in-vitro experiments, we confirmed that 3DCM-ASCs differentiated into CD31-positive endothelial cells. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of 3DCM-ASCs in vivo, PBS, human adipose tissue-derived stem cells, and 3DCM-ASCs were transplanted into a spinal cord injury model. The 3DCM-ASCs transplanted into the injured spinal cord differentiated into CD31-positive endothelial cells and remained differentiated. Transplantation of 3DCM-ASCs into the injured spinal cord significantly elevated the density of vascular formations through angiogenic factors released by the 3DCM-ASCs at the lesion site, and enhanced axonal outgrowth at the lesion site. Consistent with these results, the transplantation of 3DCM-ASCs significantly improved functional recovery compared with both ASC transplantation and PBS treatment. These findings suggest that transplantation of 3DCM-ASCs may be an effective stem cell therapy for the treatment of spinal cord injuries and neural ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: In Su
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Keung Nyun
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Do Heum
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sang-Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ha
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*