Trophic and immunoregulatory properties of neural precursor cells: Benefit for intracerebral transplantation

Immunoregulatory Properties of Neural Stem Cells

“…Low expression of MHC antigens [16,18] and costimulatory proteins CD40, CD80 and CD86 [19] may explain the lengthy survival of pNSPC in the brain of immunocompetent xenogenic hosts, but the inhibitory effect of pNSPC on T cells suggest an active immuno-T cells suggest an active immunosuggest an active immunosuppressive effect. Indeed, pNSPCs transferred in vitro strongly hamper the proliferation of activated rat T lymphocytes and decrease the production of IFN-g in a dose-dependent manner [17]. Immunosuppressive action of pNSPC is also supported by the results of Einstein et al, who showed that these cells inhibit the proliferation of lymph node-derived T cells in response to nonspecific polyclonal stimuli and to CNSderived antigens [13].…”

“…Indeed, experimental analyses in adult immuno competent rats indicate that porcine neuroblasts are systematically rejected at approximately 42 days, while pNSPCs can survive up to day 63, exhibiting large and healthy grafts with numerous cells expressing the porcine neurofilament protein, pNF70. Furthermore, these cells have the ability to produce neurotrophic factors active on dopaminergic neurons [17]. The absence of inflammation and the occasional presence of T cells in the pNSPC transplants contrast with the acute or residual inflammatory reaction consistently observed with freshly isolated porcine neuroblasts.…”

“…Intravenous or intracerebroventricular injections of NSPCs attenuate the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis [13][14][15]. In addition, porcine NSPCs (pNSPCs) transplanted into the rat striatum show long-term survival compared with freshly isolated porcine neuroblasts [16,17]. Indeed, experimental analyses in adult immuno competent rats indicate that porcine neuroblasts are systematically rejected at approximately 42 days, while pNSPCs can survive up to day 63, exhibiting large and healthy grafts with numerous cells expressing the porcine neurofilament protein, pNF70.…”

The Use of Xenotransplantation in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Way to Go?

“…The low immunogenicity of these mesenchymal stem cells and neural precursor/stem cells have been correlated to transplant survival (Armstrong et al, 2001;Rossignol et al, 2009), and both porcine neural precursor/stem cells (Michel-Monigadon et al, 2011) and human mesenchymal stem cells (Rasmusson et al, 2005) inhibit T-cell response to anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies or alloantigens in a dose-dependent way. Thus, grafting of such stem cells could provide an interesting local immunosuppressive environment that could improve xenotransplant survival.…”

“…Porcine neural precursor/stem cells grafted in adult rat striatum have been shown to survive longer and induce a weaker immune response than rats given porcin neuroblasts transplants only (Armstrong et al, 2001;Michel-Monigadon et al, 2011). Given these immunomodulatory properties of neural precursor/stem cells, their use in co-transplantation may provide for a more conducive environment for xenografts.…”