scholarly journals The Potential for Cellular Therapy Combined with Growth Factors in Spinal Cord Injury

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Rosner ◽  
Pablo Avalos ◽  
Frank Acosta ◽  
John Liu ◽  
Doniel Drazin

Any traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) may cause symptoms ranging from pain to complete loss of motor and sensory functions below the level of the injury. Currently, there are over 2 million SCI patients worldwide. The cost of their necessary continuing care creates a burden for the patient, their families, and society. Presently, few SCI treatments are available and none have facilitated neural regeneration and/or significant functional improvement. Research is being conducted in the following areas: pathophysiology, cellular therapies (Schwann cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, olfactory ensheathing cells), growth factors (BDNF), inhibitory molecules (NG2, myelin protein), and combination therapies (cell grafts and neurotrophins, cotransplantation). Results are often limited because of the inhibitory environment created following the injury and the limited regenerative potential of the central nervous system. Therapies that show promise in small animal models may not transfer to nonhuman primates and humans. None of the research has resulted in remarkable improvement, but many areas show promise. Studies have suggested that a combination of therapies may enhance results and may be more effective than a single therapy. This paper reviews and discusses the most promising new SCI research including combination therapies.

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Gong ◽  
Kaishun Xia ◽  
Ankai Xu ◽  
Chao Yu ◽  
Chenggui Wang ◽  
...  

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) causes irreversible functional loss of the affected population. The incidence of SCI keeps increasing, resulting in huge burden on the society. The pathogenesis of SCI involves neuron death and exotic reaction, which could impede neuron regeneration. In clinic, the limited regenerative capacity of endogenous cells after SCI is a major problem. Recent studies have demonstrated that a variety of stem cells such as induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs), Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Neural Progenitor Cells (NPCs) /Neural Stem Cells (NSCs) have therapeutic potential for SCI. However, the efficacy and safety of these stem cellbased therapy for SCI remain controversial. In this review, we introduce the pathogenesis of SCI, summarize the current status of the application of these stem cells in SCI repair, and discuss possible mechanisms responsible for functional recovery of SCI after stem cell transplantation. Finally, we highlight several areas for further exploitation of stem cells as a promising regenerative therapy of SCI.


Author(s):  
Chao Zhang ◽  
A.Y. Morozova ◽  
V.P. Baklaushev ◽  
I.L. Gubsky ◽  
P.A. Melnikov ◽  
...  

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic injury to the spinal cord which is not a consequence of the disease. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gradually become one of the most used stem cells in research and clinic trial. Based on the previous reports employed the cells ranged from 4 • 105 to 1 • 106, the present study was performed to figure out the best number of MSCs for transplantation of the chronic SCI. Magnetic nanoparticles were used for proving the precise transplantation strategy. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusion tensor tractography (DTT), and behavior testing evaluations, we focused the effect of varying numbers of MSCs on reducing lesion cavity and post–traumatic syrinx formation, suppressing glial scar formation, enhancing neuronal fibers remodeling, promoting axonal regeneration and sprouting, improving vascularization, ameliorating the neuronal factors expressional level, and function improvement. Magnetic nanoparticles were precisely transplanted into the post–traumatic syrinx (PTS). MSCs can restore function after chronic SCI through stimulating the regeneration and sprouting of the axons, reducing the formation of PTS. The effect of MSCs on PTS management and functional improvement post chronic SCI was cell number–dependent, and within the range of 4 • 105 to 1 • 106, 1 • 106 cells were proved to be the best dose.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihua Luo ◽  
Abdullkhaleg Ali Albashari ◽  
Xiaoyan Wang ◽  
Ling Jin ◽  
Yanni Zhang ◽  
...  

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of serious traumatic diseases of the central nervous system and has no effective treatment because of its complicated pathophysiology. Tissue engineering strategy which contains scaffolds, cells, and growth factors can provide a promising treatment for SCI. Hydrogel that has 3D network structure and biomimetic microenvironment can support cellular growth and embed biological macromolecules for sustaining release. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), derived from cranial neural crest, possess mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) characteristics and have an ability to provide neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties for SCI treatment. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is able to promote cell survival and proliferation and also has beneficial effect on neural regeneration and functional recovery after SCI. Herein, a thermosensitive heparin-poloxamer (HP) hydrogel containing DPSCs and bFGF was prepared, and the effects of HP-bFGF-DPSCs on neuron restoration after SCI were evaluated by functional recovery tests, western blotting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histology evaluation, and immunohistochemistry. The results suggested that transplanted HP hydrogel containing DPSCs and bFGF had a significant impact on spinal cord repair and regeneration and may provide a promising strategy for neuron repair, functional recovery, and tissue regeneration after SCI.


2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 812-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajime Kimura ◽  
Masahide Yoshikawa ◽  
Ryousuke Matsuda ◽  
Hayato Toriumi ◽  
Fumihiko Nishimura ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 2095-2106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjuan Ma ◽  
Yuxi Zhan ◽  
Yuxin Zhang ◽  
Xueping Xie ◽  
Chenchen Mao ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhao Deng ◽  
Yiling Zhang ◽  
Yong Xie ◽  
Licheng Zhang ◽  
Peifu Tang

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an intractable and worldwide difficult medical challenge with limited treatments. Neural stem/progenitor cell (NS/PC) transplantation derived from fetal tissues or embryonic stem cells (ESCs) has demonstrated therapeutic effects via replacement of lost neurons and severed axons and creation of permissive microenvironment to promote repair of spinal cord and axon regeneration but causes ethnical concerns and immunological rejections as well. Thus, the implementation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can be generated from adult somatic cells and differentiated into NS/PCs, provides an effective alternation in the treatment of SCI. However, as researches further deepen, there is accumulating evidence that the use of iPSC-derived NS/PCs shows mounting concerns of safety, especially the tumorigenicity. This review discusses the tumorigenicity of iPSC-derived NS/PCs focusing on the two different routes of tumorigenicity (teratomas and true tumors) and underlying mechanisms behind them, as well as possible solutions to circumvent them.


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