Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cell (EPI-NCSC)—Mediated Recovery of Sensory Function in a Mouse Model of Spinal Cord Injury
Open Access
- 23 April 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Stem Cell Reviews and Reports
- Vol. 6 (2), 186-198
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-010-9152-3
Abstract
Here we show that epidermal neural crest stem cell (EPI-NCSC) transplants in the contused spinal cord caused a 24% improvement in sensory connectivity and a substantial recovery of touch perception. Furthermore we present a novel method for the ex vivo expansion of EPI-NCSC into millions of stem cells that takes advantage of the migratory ability of neural crest stem cells and is based on a new culture medium and the use of microcarriers. Functional improvement was shown by two independent methods, spinal somatosensory evoked potentials (SpSEP) and the Semmes-Weinstein touch test. Subsets of transplanted cells differentiated into myelinating oligodendrocytes. Unilateral injections of EPI-NCSC into the lesion of midline contused mouse spinal cords elicited bilateral improvements. Intraspinal EPI-NCSC did not migrate laterally in the spinal cord or invade the spinal roots and dorsal root ganglia, thus implicating diffusible factors. EPI-NCSC expressed neurotrophic factors, angiogenic factors, and metalloproteases. The strength of EPI-NCSC thus is that they can exert a combination of pertinent functions in the contused spinal cord, including cell replacement, neuroprotection, angiogenesis and modulation of scar formation. EPI-NCSC are uniquely qualified for cell-based therapy in spinal cord injury, as neural crest cells and neural tube stem cells share a higher order stem cell and are thus ontologically closely related.Keywords
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sensory axon targeting is increased by NGF gene therapy within the lesioned adult femoral nerveExperimental Neurology, 2010
- Chemotropic guidance facilitates axonal regeneration and synapse formation after spinal cord injuryNature Neuroscience, 2009
- Analysis of Host-Mediated Repair Mechanisms after Human CNS-Stem Cell Transplantation for Spinal Cord Injury: Correlation of Engraftment with RecoveryPLOS ONE, 2009
- Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells enhances axonal outgrowth and cell survival in an organotypic spinal cord slice cultureNeuroscience Letters, 2009
- The Yellow Fluorescent Protein (YFP-H) Mouse Reveals Neuroprotection as a Novel Mechanism Underlying Chondroitinase ABC-Mediated Repair after Spinal Cord InjuryJournal of Neuroscience, 2008
- The onset of hyperreflexia in the rat following complete spinal cord transectionSpinal Cord, 2008
- Mouse Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cell (EPI-NCSC) CulturesJournal of Visualized Experiments, 2008
- Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Mediated Downregulation of Fas Improves Functional Recovery of Rats after Spinal Cord InjuryNeurochemical Research, 2007
- Pluripotent neural crest stem cells in the adult hair follicleDevelopmental Dynamics, 2004
- Spinal somatosensory evoked potentials in mice and their developmental changesBrain & Development, 1994