title: Exogenous adult postmortem neural precursors attenuate secondary degeneration and promote myelin sparing and functional recovery following experimental spinal cord injury.
abstract: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating clinical condition, characterized by a complex of neurological dysfunctions. Neural stem cells from the subventricular zone of the forebrain have been considered a potential tool for cell replacement therapies. We recently isolated a subclass of neural progenitors from the cadaver of mouse donors. These cells, named postmortem neural precursor cells (PM-NPCs), express both erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor. Their EPO-dependent differentiation abilities produce a significantly higher percentage of neurons than regular NSCs. The cholinergic yield is also higher. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential repair properties of PM-NPCs in a mouse model of traumatic SCI. Labeled PM-NPCs were administered intravenously; then the functional recovery and the fate of transplanted cells were studied. Animals transplanted with PM-NPCs showed a remarkable improved recovery of hindlimb function that was evaluated up to 90 days after lesion. This was accompanied by reduced myelin loss, counteraction of the invasion of the lesion site by the inflammatory cells, and an attenuation of secondary degeneration. PM-NPCs migrate mostly at the injury site, where they survive at a significantly higher extent than classical NSCs. These cells accumulate at the edges of the lesion, where a reach neuropile is formed by MAP2- and β-tubulin III-positive transplanted cells that are also mostly labeled by anti-ChAT antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Stephana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carelli
authors.forename: Toniella
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Giallongo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marfia
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merli
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ottobrini
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Degrassi
authors.forename: Michele D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Di Giulio
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gorio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D061848:Optical Imaging; D011859:Radiography; D017467:Receptors, Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D017467:Receptors, Erythropoietin; D004921:Erythropoietin