Mesenchymal stromal cells integrate and form longitudinally-aligned layers when delivered to injured spinal cord via a novel ﬁbrin scaffold

Neuroscience Letters, 2014 · DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2014.03.023 · Published: March 12, 2014

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Neurology

Simple Explanation

This study explores a new method of delivering mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to injured spinal cords using a fibrin scaffold. The goal was to improve cell integration and control over cell placement compared to traditional injection methods. The fibrin scaffold method resulted in the formation of longitudinally-aligned layers of MSCs at the injury site, facilitating the migration of host neurites into the MSC structure. In contrast, direct injection of MSCs led to cells primarily oriented perpendicular to the spinal cord plane, largely restricted to the lesion site, with host neurites exhibiting similar perpendicular orientation.

Study Duration

3 weeks

Participants

Female Sprague Dawley rats (200–250 g)

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Fibrin scaffold delivery of MSCs results in longitudinally-aligned layers of cells at the injury site.
2
Host neurites can migrate into scaffold-delivered MSC grafts and grow longitudinally within them.
3
MSCs delivered via injection tend to orient perpendicular to the spinal cord plane, with neurites exhibiting similar orientation.

Research Summary

This study investigates the use of a novel fibrin scaffold for delivering MSCs to injured spinal cords, aiming to improve cell integration and control compared to intraspinal injection. The results show that scaffold delivery leads to longitudinally-aligned MSC layers and promotes longitudinal neurite growth, while injection results in perpendicular cell orientation. The findings suggest that the fibrin scaffold delivery system holds promise for promoting spinal cord regeneration due to its influence on MSC orientation and neurite outgrowth.

Practical Implications

Enhanced Cell Integration

The fibrin scaffold method can improve the integration of MSCs into the spinal cord tissue, potentially leading to better therapeutic outcomes.

Controlled Cell Orientation

The scaffold provides a means to control the orientation of MSCs, which can influence the direction of neurite growth and regeneration.

Targeted Delivery

Scaffolds can be designed to deliver cells to specific locations within the injured spinal cord, maximizing their therapeutic effect.

Study Limitations

1
Qualitative assessment of MSC orientation and neurite outgrowth
2
Use of a vertical cut injury model may have influenced MSC orientation.
3
Further studies are needed to validate the advantages of the fibrin delivery system over existing methods.

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