title: Local versus distal transplantation of human neural stem cells following chronic spinal cord injury.
abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated functional recovery of rats with spinal cord contusions after transplantation of neural stem cells adjacent to the site of acute injury.
  
  
  
  The purpose of the study was to determine if the local or distal injection of neural stem cells can cause functional difference in recovery after chronic spinal cord injury.
  
  
  
  Twenty-four adult female Long-Evans hooded rats were randomized into four groups, with six animals in each group: two experimental and two control groups. Functional assessment was measured after injury and then weekly for 6 weeks using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor rating score. Data were analyzed using two-sample t test and linear mixed-effects model analysis.
  
  
  
  Posterior exposure and laminectomy at the T10 level was used. Moderate spinal cord contusion was induced by the Multicenter Animal Spinal Cord Injury Study Impactor with 10-g weight dropped from a height of 25 mm. Experimental subjects received either a subdural injection of human neural stem cells (hNSCs) locally at the injury site or intrathecal injection of hNSCs through a separate distal laminotomy 4 weeks after injury. Controls received control media injection either locally or distally.
  
  
  
  A statistically significant functional improvement in subjects that received hNSCs injected distally to the site of injury was observed when compared with the control (p=.042). The difference between subjects that received hNSCs locally and the control did not reach statistical significance (p=.085).
  
  
  
  The transplantation of hNSCs into the contused spinal cord of a rat led to significant functional recovery of the spinal cord when injected distally but not locally to the site of chronic spinal cord injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 450 Broadway St, MC 6342, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA. Electronic address: ivan.cheng@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 450 Broadway St, MC 6342, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Githens
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 450 Broadway St, MC 6342, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 450 Broadway St, MC 6342, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Los Angeles, 1250 16th St, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA.
authors.forename: Don Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Physical Rehabilitation, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 119 Belmont St, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Stauff
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 450 Broadway St, MC 6342, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA.
authors.forename: Nima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salari
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 450 Broadway St, MC 6342, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA.
authors.forename: Kali R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Tileston
authors.affiliation: Stemedica, 5375 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Kharazi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Chronic; Chronic spinal cord injury; Functional analysis; Neural stem cells; Spinal cord injury; Stem cell transplantation