title: Age Does Matter: A Pilot Comparison of Placenta-Derived Stromal Cells for in utero Repair of Myelomeningocele Using a Lamb Model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fetal amniotic membranes (FM) have been shown to preserve spinal cord histology in the fetal sheep model of myelomeningocele (MMC). This study compares the effectiveness of placenta-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (PMSCs) from early-gestation versus term-gestation placenta to augment FM repair to improve distal motor function in a sheep model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fetal lambs (n = 4) underwent surgical MMC creation followed by repair with FM patch with term-gestation PMSCs (n = 1), FM with early-gestation PMSCs (n = 1), FM only (n = 1), and skin closure only (n = 1). Histopathology and motor assessment was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathologic analysis demonstrated increased preservation of spinal cord architecture and large neurons in the lamb repaired with early-gestation cells compared to all others. Lambs repaired with skin closure only, FM alone, and term-gestation PMSCs exhibited extremely limited distal motor function; the lamb repaired with early-gestation PMSCs was capable of normal ambulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study is the first in vivo comparison of different gestational-age placenta-derived stromal cells for repair in the fetal sheep MMC model. The preservation of large neurons and markedly improved motor function in the lamb repaired with early-gestation cells suggest that early-gestation placental stromal cells may exhibit unique properties that augment in utero MMC repair to improve paralysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis Health System, Sacramento, Calif., USA.
authors.forename: Erin G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lankford
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Pivetti
authors.forename: Shinjiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Diana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.forename: Aijun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005865:Gestational Age; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009043:Motor Activity; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012038:Regeneration; D012756:Sheep; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome