title: Neurosurgery concepts: Key perspectives on dendritic cell vaccines, metastatic tumor treatment, and radiosurgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This is a laboratory study to investigate the effect of adding brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in a poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-g-poly (ethylene glycol) scaffold and its effect on spinal cord injury in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a laboratory investigation of a spinal cord injury in a rat model. A dorsolateral funiculotomy was used to disrupt the dorsolateral funiculus and rubrospinal tract. Animals were then injected with either the scaffold polymer or scaffold polymer with BDNF. Postoperatively, motor functions were assessed with single pellet reach to grasp task, stair case reaching task and cylinder task. Histological study was also performed to look at extent of glial scar and axonal growth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animals received BDNF containing polymer had an increased recovery rate of fine motor function of forelimb, as assessed by stair case reaching task and single pellet reach to grasp task compared with control animals that received the polymer only. There is no significant difference in the glial scar formation. BDNF treated animals also had increased axon growth including increase in the number and length of the rubrospinal tract axons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BDNF delivered via a scaffold polymer results in increased recovery rate in forelimb motor function in an experimental model of spinal cord injury, possibly through a promotion of growth of axons of the rubrospinal tract.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Washington DC, USA.
authors: Gordon
authors: G
authors: Li
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA.
authors: Jonathan H
authors: JH
authors: Sherman
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
authors: Jin Mo
authors: JM
authors: Cho
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Maryland, USA.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Lim
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Diego, CA, USA.
authors: Alexander A
authors: AA
authors: Khalessi
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe, MI, USA.
authors: Chaim B
authors: CB
authors: Colen
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Chae Yong
authors: CY
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors: Vincent Yat
authors: VY
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California, CA, US.
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Zada
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, IL, US.
authors: Zachary A
authors: ZA
authors: Smith
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, CA, US.
authors: Isaac
authors: I
authors: Yang
keywords: Gamma Knife; Radiosurgery; dens fracture; glioblastoma; immunotherapy; meningiomas; metastasis
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