Transplanting neural progenitors into a complete transection model of spinal cord injury.
Neural progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation is a promising therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI) because of the potential for cell replacement and restoration of connectivity. Our previous studies have shown that transplants of NPC, composed of neuron- and glia-restricted progenitors derived from the embryonic spinal cord, survived well in partial lesion models and generated graft-derived neurons, which could be used to form a functional relay. We have now examined the properties of a similar NPC transplant using a complete transection model in juvenile and adult rats. We found poor survival of grafted cells despite using a variety of lesion methods, matrices, and delays of transplantation. If, instead of cultured progenitor cells, the transplants were composed of segmental or dissociated segments of fetal spinal cord (FSC) derived from similar-staged embryos, grafted cells survived and integrated well with host tissue in juvenile and adult rats. FSC transplants differentiated into neurons and glial cells, including astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Graft-derived neurons expressed glutaminergic and GABAergic markers. Grafted cells also migrated and extended processes into host tissue. Analysis of axon growth from the host spinal cord showed serotonin-positive fibers and biotinylated dextran amine-traced propriospinal axons growing into the transplants. These results suggest that in treating severe SCI, such as complete transection, NPC grafting faces major challenges related to cell survival and formation of a functional relay. Lessons learned from the efficacy of FSC transplants could be used to develop a therapeutic strategy based on neural progenitor cells for severe SCI.
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos-São Paulo, Brazil.
Carla Christina
CC
Medalha
Ying
Y
Jin
Takaya
T
Yamagami
Christopher
C
Haas
Itzhak
I
Fischer
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D019886:Gastrin-Releasing Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D055647:Rats, Transgenic; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012701:Serotonin; D019886:Gastrin-Releasing Peptide; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase
axonal growth; cell transplantation; fetal spinal cord; neural progenitor cells; spinal cord injury