scholarly journals Mesenchymal Stem Cell Sheet Promotes Functional Recovery and Palliates Neuropathic Pain in a Subacute Spinal Cord Injury Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Kazuyoshi Yamazaki ◽  
Masahito Kawabori ◽  
Toshitaka Seki ◽  
Soichiro Takamiya ◽  
Kotaro Konno ◽  
...  

Stem cell therapy has been shown to reverse the sequelae of spinal cord injury (SCI). Although the ideal treatment route remains unknown, providing a large number of stem cells to the injured site using less invasive techniques is critical to achieving maximal recovery. This study was conducted to determine whether administration of bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) sheet made on its own without a scaffold is superior to intramedullary cell transplantation in a rat subacute SCI model. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to SCI by 30 g clip compression at the level of Th6 and Th7 and were administered BMSC cell sheet ( 7 × 10 4 cells, subdural), cell suspension ( 7 × 10 4 cells, intramedullary), or control seven days after the injury. Motor and sensory assessments, as well as histological evaluation, were performed to determine the efficacy of the different cell transplantation procedures. While both the cell sheet and cell intramedullary injection groups showed significant motor recovery compared to the control group, the cell sheet group showed better results. Furthermore, the cell sheet group displayed a significant sensory recovery compared to the other groups. A histological evaluation revealed that the cell sheet group showed smaller injury lesion volume, less inflammation, and gliosis compared to other groups. Sensory-related fibers of μ-opioid receptors (MOR, interneuron) and hydroxytryptamine transporters (HTT, descending pain inhibitory pathway), located around the dorsal horn of the spinal cord at the caudal side of the SCI, were preserved only in the cell sheet group. Stem cells could also be found inside the peri-injured spinal cord in the cell sheet group. BMSC cell sheets were able to promote functional recovery and palliate neuropathic pain more effectively than intramedullary injections, thus serving as a good treatment option for SCI.

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5966
Author(s):  
Pablo Bonilla ◽  
Joaquim Hernandez ◽  
Esther Giraldo ◽  
Miguel A. González-Pérez ◽  
Ana Alastrue-Agudo ◽  
...  

We currently lack effective treatments for the devastating loss of neural function associated with spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we evaluated a combination therapy comprising human neural stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-NSC), human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), and a pH-responsive polyacetal–curcumin nanoconjugate (PA-C) that allows the sustained release of curcumin. In vitro analysis demonstrated that PA-C treatment protected iPSC-NSC from oxidative damage in vitro, while MSC co-culture prevented lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in iPSC-NSC. Then, we evaluated the combination of PA-C delivery into the intrathecal space in a rat model of contusive SCI with stem cell transplantation. While we failed to observe significant improvements in locomotor function (BBB scale) in treated animals, histological analysis revealed that PA-C-treated or PA-C and iPSC-NSC + MSC-treated animals displayed significantly smaller scars, while PA-C and iPSC-NSC + MSC treatment induced the preservation of β-III Tubulin-positive axons. iPSC-NSC + MSC transplantation fostered the preservation of motoneurons and myelinated tracts, while PA-C treatment polarized microglia into an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Overall, the combination of stem cell transplantation and PA-C treatment confers higher neuroprotective effects compared to individual treatments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3994
Author(s):  
Kazuyoshi Yamazaki ◽  
Masahito Kawabori ◽  
Toshitaka Seki ◽  
Kiyohiro Houkin

There are more than one million patients worldwide suffering paralysis caused by spinal cord injury (SCI). SCI causes severe socioeconomic problems not only to the patients and their caregivers but also to society; therefore, the development of innovative treatments is crucial. Many pharmacological therapies have been attempted in an effort to reduce SCI-related damage; however, no single therapy that could dramatically improve the serious long-term sequelae of SCI has emerged. Stem cell transplantation therapy, which can ameliorate damage or regenerate neurological networks, has been proposed as a promising candidate for SCI treatment, and many basic and clinical experiments using stem cells for SCI treatment have been launched, with promising results. However, the cell transplantation methods, including cell type, dose, transplantation route, and transplantation timing, vary widely between trials, and there is no consensus regarding the most effective treatment strategy. This study reviews the current knowledge on this issue, with a special focus on the clinical trials that have used stem cells for treating SCI, and highlights the problems that remain to be solved before the widespread clinical use of stem cells can be adopted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4141
Author(s):  
Hye-Lan Lee ◽  
Chung-Eun Yeum ◽  
Hye-Yeong Lee ◽  
Jinsoo Oh ◽  
Jong-Tae Kim ◽  
...  

Stem cell therapy is one of the most promising candidate treatments for spinal cord injury. Research has shown optimistic results for this therapy, but clinical limitations remain, including poor viability, engraftment, and differentiation. Here, we isolated novel peripheral nerve-derived stem cells (PNSCs) from adult peripheral nerves with similar characteristics to neural-crest stem cells. These PNSCs expressed neural-crest specific markers and showed multilineage differentiation potential into Schwann cells, neuroglia, neurons, and mesodermal cells. In addition, PNSCs showed therapeutic potential by releasing the neurotrophic factors, including glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor, nerve growth factor, and neurotrophin-3. PNSC abilities were also enhanced by their development into spheroids which secreted neurotrophic factors several times more than non-spheroid PNSCs and expressed several types of extra cellular matrix. These features suggest that the potential for these PNSC spheroids can overcome their limitations. In an animal spinal cord injury (SCI) model, these PNSC spheroids induced functional recovery and neuronal regeneration. These PNSC spheroids also reduced the neuropathic pain which accompanies SCI after remyelination. These PNSC spheroids may represent a new therapeutic approach for patients suffering from SCI.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morito Takano ◽  
Soya Kawabata ◽  
Shinsuke Shibata ◽  
Akimasa Yasuda ◽  
Satoshi Nori ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 096368972110678
Author(s):  
Qiao-Rui Tang ◽  
Hui Xue ◽  
Qiao Zhang ◽  
Ying Guo ◽  
Hao Xu ◽  
...  

Stem cell transplantation has been applied to treat spinal cord injury (SCI) in clinical trials for many years. However, the clinical efficacies of stem cell transplantation in SCI have been quite diverse. The purpose of our study was to systematically investigate the efficacy of stem cell transplantation in patients with SCI. The PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid-Medline, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang, and SinoMed databases were searched until October 27, 2020. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed by Review Manager 5.3 and R. Nine studies ( n = 328) were included, and the overall risk of bias was moderate. The ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) grading improvement rate was analyzed in favor of stem cell transplantation group [odds ratio (OR) = 6.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.16–11.62, P < 0.00001]. Urodynamic indices also showed improvement in bladder function. In subgroup analyses, the results indicated that in patients with complete (AIS A) SCI, with the application of cell numbers between n*(107–108), two cell types (i.e., bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow mononuclears), and treatment time of more than 6 months, stem cell transplantation was more beneficial for sensorimotor function ( P < 0.05 for all groups). The risk of fever incidence in the stem cell transplantation group was 4.22 (95% CI: 1.7–10.22, P = 0.001), and principal component analysis (PCA) suggested it was more related to transplanted cell numbers. Thus, stem cell transplantation can promote functional recovery in SCI patients. Moreover, the type and quantity of transplanted stem cells and treatment time are important factors affecting the therapeutic effect of stem cell transplantation in SCI. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects and elucidate the mechanisms of these factors on stem cell therapy in SCI.


2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hojjat-Allah Abbaszadeh ◽  
Somayeh Niknazar ◽  
Shahram Darabi ◽  
Navid Ahmady Roozbahany ◽  
Ali Noori-Zadeh ◽  
...  

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