We report that prospectively isolated, human CNS stem cells grown as neurospheres (hCNS-SCns) survive, migrate, and express differentiation markers for neurons and oligodendrocytes after longterm engraftment in spinal cord-injured NOD-scid mice. hCNS-SCns engraftment was associated with locomotor recovery, an observation that was abolished by selective ablation of engrafted cells by diphtheria toxin. Remyelination by hCNS-SCns was found in both the spinal cord injury NOD-scid model and myelin-deficient shiverer mice. Moreover, electron microscopic evidence consistent with synapse formation between hCNS-SCns and mouse host neurons was observed. Glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytic differentiation was rare, and hCNS-SCns did not appear to contribute to the scar. These data suggest that hCNS-SCns may possess therapeutic potential for CNS injury and disease.behavioral assessment ͉ differentiation ͉ stem cell transplantation R ecent studies have used a variety of immortalized, engineered, or isolated rodent-derived precursor͞stem cells transplanted into rodent models of spinal cord injury. Many of these studies focused on cell survival and did not address differentiation, functional recovery, or the causal relationship between successful engraftment and observed behavioral improvements. When differentiation was investigated, embryonic and adult neural stem cells were reported to principally assume glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytic phenotypes after grafting into nonneurogenic regions of uninjured adult CNS (1, 2) or injured spinal cord (3-5). Furthermore, although in vitro predifferentiation paradigms designed to generate neural lineage restricted precursors successfully generated -tubulin III (Tuj-1)-positive neuronal phenotypes either in vitro or after transplantation into uninjured spinal cord, this commitment was overridden by environmental cues in the injured spinal cord (6).Transplants of human brain-derived stem cells or human spinal cord tissue into injured rat spinal cord have been described (7-9). Moreover, several human cell transplantation paradigms recently have been reported to promote locomotor recovery: human umbilical cell infusion in a rat spinal cord injury model, although only within 3 weeks or less postgrafting (10); neurons differentiated in vitro under retinoic acid from human embryonal teratocarcinoma cells and transplanted into a rat spinal cord injury model (11); human ES cells differentiated in vitro to oligoprogenitors and transplanted into a rat spinal cord injury model (12); and human neural stem͞progenitor cells transplanted into a monkey spinal cord injury model (13). In general, these studies lack some or all of the following: definitive identification of transplanted cells, longterm survival and engraftment data, evidence of differentiation, and͞or direct evidence of functional integration of human cells in the injured spinal cord. The current study addresses three previously unexplored issues in stem cell transplantation research for spinal co...
BackgroundHuman central nervous system-stem cells grown as neurospheres (hCNS-SCns) self-renew, are multipotent, and have potential therapeutic applications following trauma to the spinal cord. We have previously shown locomotor recovery in immunodeficient mice that received a moderate contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) and hCNS-SCns transplantation 9 days post-injury (dpi). Engrafted hCNS-SCns exhibited terminal differentiation to myelinating oligodendrocytes and synapse-forming neurons. Further, selective ablation of human cells using Diphtheria toxin (DT) abolished locomotor recovery in this paradigm, suggesting integration of human cells within the mouse host as a possible mechanism for the locomotor improvement. However, the hypothesis that hCNS-SCns could alter the host microenvironment as an additional or alternative mechanism of recovery remained unexplored; we tested that hypothesis in the present study.Methods and FindingsStereological quantification of human cells using a human-specific cytoplasmic marker demonstrated successful cell engraftment, survival, migration and limited proliferation in all hCNS-SCns transplanted animals. DT administration at 16 weeks post-transplant ablated 80.5% of hCNS-SCns. Stereological quantification for lesion volume, tissue sparing, descending serotonergic host fiber sprouting, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan deposition, glial scarring, and angiogenesis demonstrated no evidence of host modification within the mouse spinal cord as a result of hCNS-SCns transplantation. Biochemical analyses supplemented stereological data supporting the absence of neural stem-cell mediated host repair. However, linear regression analysis of the number of engrafted hCNS-SCns vs. the number of errors on a horizontal ladder beam task revealed a strong correlation between these variables (r = −0.78, p<0.05), suggesting that survival and engraftment were directly related to a quantitative measure of recovery.ConclusionsAltogether, the data suggest that the locomotor improvements associated with hCNS-SCns transplantation were not due to modifications within the host microenvironment, supporting the hypothesis that human cell integration within the host circuitry mediates functional recovery following a 9 day delayed transplant.
There is potential for a variety of stem cell populations to mediate repair in the diseased or injured CNS; in some cases, this theoretical possibility has already transitioned to clinical safety testing. However, careful consideration of preclinical animal models is essential to provide an appropriate assessment of stem cell safety and efficacy, as well as the basic biological mechanisms of stem cell action. This article examines the lessons learned from early tissue, organ and hematopoietic grafting, the early assumptions of the stem cell and CNS fields with regard to immunoprivilege, and the history of success in stem cell transplantation into the CNS. Finally, we discuss strategies in the selection of animal models to maximize the predictive validity of preclinical safety and efficacy studies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.