Effects of combination treatment with transcranial magnetic stimulation and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation or Raf inhibition on spinal cord injury in rats

MOLECULAR MEDICINE REPORTS, 2021 · DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2021.11934 · Published: January 7, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Neurology

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a significant global health challenge due to the limited effectiveness of current treatment options. The study investigates combining treatments like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation or Raf inhibitor (RafI) therapy. The research utilizes a rat model of SCI to test the effects of TMS, BMSCs, and RafI, both individually and in combination, on functional recovery, tissue damage, and nerve cell death. The results suggest that combining TMS with either BMSC transplantation or RafI therapy leads to a more significant improvement in SCI recovery compared to using each treatment alone. The study provides a basis for further research into combination therapies for SCI in clinical settings.

Study Duration

4 weeks

Participants

84 female Sprague Dawley rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Monotherapy (TMS, BMSCs, or RafI) significantly enhanced locomotor functional recovery in SCI model rats, as evidenced by higher BBB scores, and slightly alleviated histopathological lesions of the spinal cord.
2
Combination therapy (TMS+BMSCs or TMS+RafI) further alleviated SCI-induced spinal cord lesions and neuronal apoptosis compared with the corresponding monotherapy groups.
3
Combination therapy displayed an improved therapeutic effect on SCI by further suppressing Raf/MEK/ERK signaling.

Research Summary

The study aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of monotherapy (TMS, BMSCs, or RafI) and combination therapy (TMS+BMSCs or TMS+RafI) on spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The results demonstrated that both monotherapy and combination therapy enhanced locomotor functional recovery and alleviated histopathological lesions of the spinal cord in SCI model rats, but combination therapy was more effective. The study concluded that combination therapy with TMS and BMSC transplantation or RafI may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for SCI, as it showed more efficient SCI recovery in rats compared to monotherapy.

Practical Implications

Clinical Application

Combination therapy (TMS + BMSC or TMS + RafI) may be a more effective treatment strategy for SCI patients.

Further Research

Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying the synergistic effects of combination therapy.

Therapeutic Development

The findings provide a basis for the development of novel therapeutic interventions for SCI.

Study Limitations

1
The time interval for BBB scoring was potentially too long and there was a lack of additional time points.
2
Two key limitations were that the time interval for BBB scoring was potentially too long and there was a lack of additional time points.
3
Although the combined application of TMS+BMSCs or TMS+RafI did not further improve motor recovery in SCI model rats, the two combined treatments displayed no negative effects on motor recovery.

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