Mesenchymal stem cells promote augmented response of endogenous neural stem cells in spinal cord injury of rats

• Published in: Semina. Ciências agrárias : revista cultural e científica da Universidade Estadual de Londrina Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 1355 - 1368
• Main Authors: Araujo, Marta Rocha, Carvalho, Pablo Herthel, Paula, Taís Silva de, Okano, Bárbara Silva, Del Carlo, Ricardo Junqueira, Novaes, Rômulo Dias, Cunha, Daise Nunes Queiroz da, Neves, Clóvis Andrade
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Londrina 22-06-2016
• Subjects: Cellular therapy; Neurosurgery; Stem cell
• ISSN: 1676-546X; 1679-0359
• DOI: 10.5433/1679-0359.2016v37n3p1355

Traumatic spinal cord injury results in severe neurological deficits, mostly irreversible. The cell therapy represents a strategy for treatment particularly with the use of stem cells with satisfactory results in several experimental models. The aim of the study was to compare the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) with and without mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), to investigate whether MSCs migrate and/or remain at the site of injury, and to analyze the effects of MSCs on inflammation, astrocytic reactivity and activation of endogenous stem cells. Three hours after SCI, animals received bone marrow-derived MSCs (1×107 in 1mL PBS, IV). Animals were euthanized 24 hours, 7 and 21 days post-injury. The MSC were not present in the site of the lesion and the immunofluorescent evaluation showed significant attenuation of inflammatory response with reduction in macrophages labeled with anti-CD68 antibody (ED1), decreased immunoreactivity of astrocytes (GFAP+) and greater activation of endogenous stem cells (nestin+) in the treated groups. Therefore, cell transplantation have a positive effect on recovery from traumatic spinal cord injury possibly due to the potential of MSCs to attenuate the immune response.