Conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells treats spinal cord injury by inhibiting microglial pyroptosis

This study investigates the potential of conditioned medium from human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC-CM) to treat spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The researchers found that DPSC-CM promotes the recovery of sensory and motor functions after SCI. The study also explores how DPSC-CM might work. They discovered that it reduces inflammation in the spinal cord by targeting a specific type of cell death called pyroptosis in microglia, which are immune cells in the brain and spinal cord. In lab experiments with microglia cells, DPSC-CM protected the cells from pyroptosis by blocking a specific inflammatory pathway. This suggests DPSC-CM could be a new way to treat spinal cord injury by reducing inflammation and promoting nerve recovery.

• 1
  DPSC-CM effectively promoted the recovery of sensory and motor functions in rats with spinal cord injury.
• 2
  DPSC-CM decreased expression of the microglial pyroptosis markers NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase-1, and interleukin-1β.
• 3
  DPSC-CM promoted axonal and myelin regeneration, and inhibited the formation of glial scars.