Neural stem cells (NSCs) have widely been used in the treatment of human neurological disorders as cell therapy via intracerebral or intraventricular infusion. However, the migration mechanism required for NSCs homing and recruitment remains to be elucidated. Recently, SDF-1/CXCR4 axis was shown to be responsible for in cell migration and differentiation during the neural development stage and involved in the pathophysiological process of neurological disorders. In this study, we investigated the effect of SDF-1 in migration of NSCs in vitro and in vivo. The expression of CXCR4 receptor was examined by immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. The migratory ability of NSCs induced by SDF-1 was assessed by transwell chemotaxis assay. The traumatic brain injury rat model was well established, and the recruitment of NSCs and expression of SDF-1 were investigated in vivo. Our findings demonstrated that SDF-1, in vitro, significantly induced the migratory of NSCs in a dose-dependent manner. An overexpression of neural stem cell marker Nestin in the hippocampus was observed after TBI, and the expressions of SDF-1 surrounding the lesion areas were significantly increased. Our results suggested that the migration of NSCs was activated by chemotactic effect of SDF-1. It was also proved the relevance of SDF-1 in the migration of endogenous NSCs after brain injury. Taken together, these results demonstrated that SDF-1/CXCR4 axis may play crucial role in the migration of Nestin-positive cell after brain injury.

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The aim of this study was to analyze the techniques for intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in patients with coloboma of the iris. A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the degree of iris coloboma and the characteristics of the crystalline lens in 56 patients with iris coloboma. The patients with a lesser degree of coloboma of the iris and an intact lens capsule were treated by iris suture and IOL implantation into the posterior chamber. Patients with an iris coloboma confined to one quadrant, severe iris atrophy and significant lens capsule coloboma were treated with an annular suture at the edge of the pupil and IOL implantation into the anterior chamber. Patients with a greater degree of iris coloboma and an intact lens capsule were treated with an artificial iris and IOL implantation. The patients were followed up for between five months and five years after surgery. Data relating to vision, photophobia, IOL location, postoperative complications and treatment were also obtained at follow-up. The vision of the patients was improved to varying degrees following the surgery, with the exception of those with amblyopia or serious corneal scars. The photophobia of the patients had also improved. The patients’ levels of satisfaction and comfort were deemed to be satisfactory. Early postoperative complications included hyphema, increased intraocular pressure and uveitis. However, serious complications such as corneal decompensation and IOL dislocation were not observed. Various techniques for IOL implantation were selected based on the degree of iris and lens capsule coloboma; these techniques were capable of improving the vision and photophobia of the patients.

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