MSCs for Enhanced Healing After Spinal Cord Injury

This paper shows that mesenchymal stem cells can be used therapeutically to improve healing after spinal cord injury.

ABSTRACT

A prevascularized nerve conduit based on a stem cell sheet effectively promotes the repair of transected spinal cord injury.

Acta Biomater. 2019 Oct 31. pii: S1742-7061(19)30730-5. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.10.042. [Epub ahead of print]

Fan Z1, Liao X2, Tian Y2, Xuzhuzi X2, Nie Y3.

Author information

School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China.
Institute of Sensing Technology, Gansu Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].

ABSTRACT:

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in severe loss of motor and sensory function caused by ischemia and hypoxia, which are the key limiting factors of SCI rehabilitation. Vascularization is considered an effective way to resolve the issues of ischemia and hypoxia. In this regard, we first fabricated prevascularized nerve conduits (PNC) based on the prevascularized stem cell sheet and evaluated their repair effects by implanting them into transected SCI rats. A better healing effect was presented in the PNC group than in the control group and the nonprevascularized nerve conduit (NPNC) group as shown in H&E staining and the Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) Locomotor Rating Scale assessment. In addition, the expression of β-III tubulin (Tuj-1) in the PNC group was higher than that in the control group and the NPNC group because of the introduction of MSCs. Conversely, the expression of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in both experimental groups was lower than that in the control group because of the inhibitory effect of MSCs on glial scar formation. Taken together, the introduction of prevascularization into the neuron conduit was an effective solution for improving the condition of ischemia and hypoxia, inhibiting glial scar formation, and promoting the healing of SCI, which implied that the PNC may be a potential alternative material to biomaterials for SCI rehabilitation.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE:

1. Prevascularized stem cell sheet was first used to repair spinal cord injury (SCI). 2. Prevascularized stem cell sheet use can effectively resolve the challenges faced during SCI, including ischemia and hypoxia and the limited regenerative ability of the remained neurons. 3. Prevascularized stem cell sheet was found to accelerate the healing of SCI as compared to those in the control group and the pure stem cell sheet group. 4. The introduction of stem cells can effectively inhibit the formation of a glial scar.

PMID: 31678739

DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.10.042