Spinal cord-derived neural precursor cells as a preventive therapy for spinal cord injury

Abstract

Background:Spinal cord injury (SCI) as one of the most important diseases of central nervous system (CNS) without any definite treatment is still growing in incidence. In addition to trauma, some surgeries such as cardiac and thoracic aorta surgery may result in SCI as a complication. In last years, a promising approach has shed light on this CNS injury thanks to stem cell technology. Stem cell therapy could be considered as a good candidate for transplantation and enhancing neural regeneration in SCI. In this study, we identified the effects of spinal cord-derived neural precursor cells (NPCs) transplantation on SCI in after and before injury injection.Materials and Methods:NPCs were isolated from the adult rat spinal cord and cultured in vitro using complete culture media. After neurosphere formation, the cells were differentiated to neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocyte. The cells were transplanted to the rat model of SCI in 1 day before and 1 day after injury. The animals were followed for 12 weeks to assess their neurological performance. In addition, histological study and inflammatory cytokines levels have been studied.Results:Our results indicate that NPCs infusion both pre- and post-SCI could decrease the level of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, the neurological performance and histologic studies showed recovery after this type of injury using NPCs, and it might be due to inflammation modulatory effects on neural stem cells.Conclusion:NPCs therapy for SCI in both two-time points (before and after SCI) could be beneficial and make a neurological recovery. In other words, NPCs therapy could be considered as a therapeutic and also preventive approach for SCI.

Neural Stem Cells Overexpressing Arginine Decarboxylase Improve Functional Recovery from Spinal Cord Injury in a Mouse Model

“…Grafted cells can provide trophic support for neurons and manipulate the environment within the damaged spinal cord to facilitate axonal regeneration or promote plasticity [ 9 , 11 , 12 ]. Sources for cell transplantation are typically multipotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) [ 15 , 16 ], neural stem cells (NSCs), neural precursor cells (NPCs) [ 13 , 17 , 18 , 19 ], induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) [ 20 ], and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) [ 21 ]. Of these, NSCs and NPCs have been the most effective in treating CNS diseases [ 13 , 17 , 22 ].…”

“…Sources for cell transplantation are typically multipotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) [ 15 , 16 ], neural stem cells (NSCs), neural precursor cells (NPCs) [ 13 , 17 , 18 , 19 ], induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) [ 20 ], and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) [ 21 ]. Of these, NSCs and NPCs have been the most effective in treating CNS diseases [ 13 , 17 , 22 ]. Regardless of cell type, stem cell-mediated therapy faces the same major challenge of controlling the survival, integration, and differentiation of transplanted cells [ 14 ].…”

“…Endogenous NPCs are multipotent cells with the potential to differentiate into neuronal and glial lineages within the CNS [ 13 , 17 ]. Experiments in demyelinated animal models have shown that intraspinally or intraperitoneally transplanted NPCs can integrate into damaged tissue, differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes, and cause clinical improvement [ 12 , 13 , 17 ].…”

“…Endogenous NPCs are multipotent cells with the potential to differentiate into neuronal and glial lineages within the CNS [ 13 , 17 ]. Experiments in demyelinated animal models have shown that intraspinally or intraperitoneally transplanted NPCs can integrate into damaged tissue, differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes, and cause clinical improvement [ 12 , 13 , 17 ]. Similarly, NPC transplantation into the SCI site results in integration and functional recovery, with the transplanted cells differentiating into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes [ 12 , 13 , 23 , 24 ].…”