Grafted human ESC–derived astroglia repair spinal cord injury via activation of host anti-inflammatory microglia in the lesion area

This study explores how transplanting specialized brain cells (astroglia) grown from human embryonic stem cells can help repair spinal cord injuries in mice. The researchers looked at how these transplanted cells affected the injured area and the recovery of motor function. The key finding is that these transplanted astroglia promote the activation of anti-inflammatory immune cells (microglia) within the spinal cord lesion. This activation helps reduce scarring and supports the regrowth of nerve fibers, ultimately improving motor function in the injured mice. This research suggests that using stem cell-derived astroglia to encourage a specific type of immune response in the injured spinal cord could be a promising strategy for future cell-based therapies for spinal cord injuries.

• 1
  Transplanted astroglia (NPC- or Olig2PC-Astros) survived in the spinal cord lesion area and aided in wound healing by decreasing scar formation.
• 2
  Transplantation of NPC- or Olig2PC-Astros shifted microglia in the lesion area toward an anti-inflammatory state, leading to improvements in axon regeneration.
• 3
  The transplantation of astroglia elevated the expression of interleukin-4, which facilitated the phenotypic shift of microglia through downstream signaling.