Not specified, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3044426/v1 · Published: July 19, 2023
This study investigates a combination therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI) using a multichannel bridge made of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) and human neural stem cells (hNSC). The PLG bridge provides structural support and reduces inflammation, while hNSCs promote axon myelination. The researchers found that culturing hNSCs on a PLG scaffold encourages them to become oligodendrocytes, which are cells that produce myelin. In live animals, implanting the PLG bridge followed by hNSC transplantation led to the migration of hNSCs into the bridge channels. These hNSCs then developed into myelin-producing oligodendrocytes and synaptically integrated neurons. This combination therapy significantly improved locomotor recovery compared to control groups or hNSC transplant alone.
A temporally layered approach using acute bridge implantation and chronic cell transplantation can spare tissue, promote regeneration, and maximize the function of new axonal connections.
This strategy could open a new therapeutic window for SCI, particularly in cases of penetrating injury, where strategies that can enable true axonal regeneration may be required to open a path for recovery of function.
Multipotent hNSC that enter the PLG bridge exhibit the potential to integrate with host circuitry via differentiation into myelinating oligodendrocytes and synaptically connected neurons.