High Yield of Adult Oligodendrocyte Lineage Cells Obtained from Meningeal Biopsy

Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2017 · DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00703 · Published: October 12, 2017

Simple Explanation

Oligodendrocyte loss leads to cognitive and motor deficits, motivating research into cell therapies. This study introduces a new method for obtaining oligodendrocyte lineage cells from adult rat meningeal tissue. The protocol involves a four-phase process to expand and differentiate meningeal-derived neural stem cells into mature oligodendrocytes. This method yields a high number of cells in a short period. When transplanted into a demyelinated spinal cord model, these cells showed remyelinating potential, making them promising for autologous cell therapy for demyelinating diseases.

Study Duration

Approximately 4 weeks

Participants

Six to eight weeks old male and female Sprague–Dawley rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
A protocol was developed to expand a homogenous culture of 10 millions of meningeal-derived oligodendrocyte lineage cells from 1 cm2 of adult rat spinal cord meninges in approximately 4 weeks.
2
Meningeal-derived oligodendrocyte lineage cells express specific oligodendrocyte markers, such as galactosylceramidase and myelin basic protein.
3
When transplanted in a chemically demyelinated spinal cord model, meningeal-derived oligodendrocyte lineage cells display in vivo-remyelinating potential.

Research Summary

This study presents a novel protocol for obtaining a high yield of oligodendrocyte lineage cells from adult rat meningeal tissue, addressing the need for a readily available source of cells for cell therapy in demyelinating diseases. The four-phase differentiation protocol allows for efficient expansion and maturation of meningeal-derived neural stem cells into oligodendrocyte lineage cells with mature oligodendrocyte morphology and expression of specific markers. Transplantation of these cells into a chemically demyelinated spinal cord model demonstrates their in vivo remyelinating potential, suggesting their promise for autologous cell therapy.

Practical Implications

Autologous Cell Therapy

Meningeal-derived oligodendrocyte lineage cells, obtained through this protocol, represent a promising candidate for autologous cell therapy of demyelinating diseases due to their accessibility and adult origin.

In Vitro Model for Drug Screening

The described method can serve as a valid in vitro model to dissect oligodendrocyte differentiation and to screen for drugs capable to promote oligodendrocyte regeneration.

Precision Medicine Applications

The ability to obtain patient-specific oligodendrocytes without major in vitro transformation opens potential avenues for precision medicine approaches in testing drugs for individual patients.

Study Limitations

1
The study is conducted on rats, and further research is needed to validate the protocol's applicability to human meningeal tissue.
2
The in vivo remyelination potential was assessed using a chemical demyelination model (LPC), which may not fully replicate the complex interactions in diseases like multiple sclerosis.
3
The long-term survival and regenerative potential of transplanted meningeal-derived oligodendrocyte lineage cells in different pathological microenvironments require further investigation.

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