Activated Human Adipose Tissue Transplantation Promotes Sensorimotor Recovery after Acute Spinal Cord Contusion in Rats

This study explores a new way to treat spinal cord injuries using human fat tissue that has been mechanically activated. The fat is transplanted into the injured spinal cord of rats to see if it can help them recover movement and feeling. The researchers compared rats that received the activated fat to rats that received a saline solution after spinal cord injury. They looked at inflammation levels, how well the rats could move, and how their nerves were functioning. The results showed that the activated fat reduced inflammation in the spinal cord, improved the rats' ability to move, and helped restore the connection between the brain and the spinal cord.

• 1
  Activated fat transplantation reduced endogenous inflammation post-SCI by decreasing the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α).
• 2
  The AF group showed a significant improvement in sensorimotor recovery, as evidenced by higher BBB scores and improved performance on the ladder-climbing test.
• 3
  Activated adipose tissue reinstated the segmental sensorimotor loop and improved communication between supra- and sub-lesional spinal cord regions, as demonstrated by electrophysiological recordings.