Canine bone marrow peri-adipocyte cells could therapeutically benefit acute spinal cord injury through migration and secretion of hepatocyte growth factor to inflammatory milieu

Spinal cord injury (SCI) in dogs often leads to inflammation, worsening the damage. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can help repair tissue and move to injured areas, making them a promising treatment. Bone marrow peri-adipocyte cells (BM-PACs) from dogs have stem cell properties that are even better than regular bone marrow MSCs. This study tested if BM-PACs can release a growth factor called hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and move towards inflammation in lab experiments. The study found that BM-PACs can release HGF when exposed to inflammation and can move towards inflammatory signals. The researchers then injected BM-PACs into mice with spinal cord injuries to see if the cells could move to the injury site and help repair the damage. They found that BM-PACs did move to the injured spinal cord, increased HGF levels, and helped the mice recover function, with less tissue damage and scarring compared to mice that did not receive the cells.

• 1
  BM-PACs can secrete HGF in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1β, and exhibit migration ability toward these cytokines.
• 2
  BM-PACs homed to the injured spinal cord, where the HGF expression level increased 7 days after administration.
• 3
  Intravenous administration of BM-PACs induced functional recovery and pathological improvement, indicated by less demyelinating area, more preserved axons, and less glial scar formation compared with the mice only received vehicle.