Caudalized human iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells produce neurons and glia but fail to restore function in an early chronic spinal cord injury model

The study investigates the potential of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to repair chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). hiPSCs were differentiated into region-specific (caudal) NPCs and transplanted into a clinically relevant model of early chronic cervical SCI. The transplanted cells successfully integrated into the injury environment and produced multiple neural lineages. However, the integration and differentiation of hiPSC-derived neural cells did not lead to significant improvement in forelimb function or induce allodynia. These findings suggest that while hiPSCs hold promise for SCI treatment, future research should focus on identifying specific hiPSC-derivatives or co-therapies to restore function in the early chronic injury setting.

• 1
  Caudalized hiPSC-NPCs can be successfully transplanted into an early chronic cervical SCI model and survive for up to two months post-transplant without risk of overgrowth or loss of function.
• 2
  The transplanted hiPSC-NPCs differentiated into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in vivo, demonstrating multipotentiality.
• 3
  Despite integration and differentiation, transplantation of hiPSC-NPCs did not result in significant improvement in forelimb function or reduction in allodynia compared to control groups.