Partially brain eﬀects of injection of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells at injury sites in a mouse model of thoracic spinal cord contusion

Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2023 · DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1179175 · Published: June 5, 2023

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Neurology

Simple Explanation

This study investigates how injecting human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HU-MSCs) at the site of spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice affects pain and motor function, focusing on changes in the brain regions associated with pain processing. The researchers examined molecular changes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and periaqueductal gray (PAG) – brain areas involved in pain and emotional responses – and observed the mice's behavior after the stem cell treatment. The findings suggest that HU-MSC transplantation can alleviate neuropathic pain and improve motor function recovery after SCI, offering a potential direction for future SCI treatment strategies.

Study Duration

4 weeks

Participants

63 female C57BL/6J mice

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Local transplantation of HU-MSCs at the site of SCI partially relieves the neuropathic pain and promotes recovery of motor function.
2
After HU-MSC injection, the expression of CGRP, SP and C-Fos decreased, and the expression of KCC2 increased in the ACC and PAG.
3
The SCI + HU-MSC group showed better exercise ability from 2 to 4 weeks after surgery than the SCI/SCI + PBS groups.

Research Summary

The study aimed to determine the potential therapeutic mechanisms of pain by observing molecular expression in the ACC and PAG in the brain and animal behavior after local injection of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HU-MSCs) at the site of SCI. The results showed that local transplantation of HU-MSCs at the site of SCI partially relieves the neuropathic pain and promotes recovery of motor function, and may be associated with stem cells diffusing throughout the spinal cord. The conclusion provides a feasible direction for SCI pain treatment in the future, though the specific molecular mechanism requires further exploration.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

HU-MSC transplantation offers a promising avenue for alleviating neuropathic pain and promoting motor function recovery in SCI patients.

Brain-Targeted Therapies

The study highlights the importance of considering brain regions involved in pain processing (ACC and PAG) when developing SCI treatments.

Future Research

Further studies are needed to elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms through which stem cells exert their therapeutic effects in SCI.

Study Limitations

1
The specific molecular mechanism through which stem cells affect pain and motor changes after SCI has not been explored.
2
Short observation time after injury might also explain why no repair of thermal hypersensitivity was observed.
3
Further research is needed to explore the speciﬁc reasons for these ﬁndings.

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