title: Autologous transplantation of intestine-isolated glia cells improves neuropathology and restores cognitive deficits in β amyloid-induced neurodegeneration.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by chronic deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain, progressive neurodegeneration and consequent cognitive and behavioral deficits that typify the disease. Astrocytes are pivotal in this process because they are activated in the attempt to digest Aβ which starts a neuroinflammatory response that further contributes to neurodegeneration. The intestine is a good source of astrocytes-like cells-referred to as enteric glial cells (EGCs). Here we show that the autologous transplantation of EGCs into the brain of Aβ-injected rats arrested the development of the disease after their engraftment. Transplanted EGCs showed anti-amyloidogenic activity, embanked Aβ-induced neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, and released neutrophic factors. The overall result was the amelioration of the pathological hallmarks and the cognitive and behavioral deficits typical of Aβ-associated disease. Our data indicate that autologous EGCs transplantation may provide an efficient alternative for applications in cell-replacement therapies to treat neurodegeneration in AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sarnelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capoccia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience (LENS), TARGID, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology-CNR. Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calì
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steardo
mesh_terms: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides