Delayed Transplantation of Adult Neural Precursor Cells Promotes Remyelination and Functional Neurological Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury often leads to the loss of cells that produce myelin, a protective sheath around nerve fibers, resulting in impaired function. This study explores using neural precursor cells to repair this damage. Neural precursor cells from adult mice brains were transplanted into rats with spinal cord injuries at different stages (subacute and chronic) to see if they could help repair the damage. The transplanted cells survived better when transplanted in the subacute phase, integrated into the spinal cord tissue, turned into myelin-producing cells, and improved the rats' functional recovery.

• 1
  Transplanted adult neural precursor cells (NPCs) survived better in the injured spinal cord when transplanted during the subacute phase of injury compared to the chronic phase.
• 2
  A significant portion of the surviving NPCs differentiated into oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for producing myelin, and these cells integrated into the host spinal cord tissue.
• 3
  Rats that received NPC transplants showed improved functional recovery, as measured by locomotor rating scales and other behavioral tests, compared to control groups.