Spinal cord injury regeneration using autologous bone marrow-derived neurocytes and rat embryonic stem cells: A comparative study in rats

World Journal of Stem Cells, 2020 · DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i12.1591 · Published: December 26, 2020

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine

Simple Explanation

This study investigates the potential of two different types of stem cells, rat embryonic stem cells (rESC) and autologous bone marrow-derived neurocytes (ABMDN), to help recover from spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The researchers created SCI in rats and then injected either rESC, ABMDN, or saline (as a control). They then observed the rats for improvements in movement and examined the spinal cord tissue under a microscope. The results showed that both rESC and ABMDN improved functional recovery after SCI, but ABMDN showed better results, suggesting it could be a more promising therapy.

Study Duration

8 wk

Participants

45 male Wistar rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Both rESC and ABMDN groups showed significant improvement compared to the control group based on the BBB scale, indicating functional recovery after SCI.
2
Electromyography studies showed statistically significant (P < 0.0001) regeneration of neural tissue in the rESC and ABMDN groups compared to the control group.
3
Histological evaluation revealed that the ABMDN group had less vacuolization and more prominent gliosis compared to the control and rESC groups, suggesting a better healing process.

Research Summary

This study investigates the efficacy of rat embryonic stem cells (rESC) and autologous bone marrow-derived neurocytes (ABMDN) in promoting functional recovery after iatrogenic spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The results demonstrated that transplantation of both rESC and ABMDN led to significant improvements in functional recovery compared to the control group, as assessed by the BBB scale and electromyographic studies. ABMDN exhibited superior outcomes compared to rESC in terms of locomotor recovery, neural tissue regeneration, and histological findings, suggesting a more promising therapeutic potential for SCI treatment.

Practical Implications

Potential Therapeutic Strategy

ABMDN transplantation shows promise as a potential therapeutic strategy for improving functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Further Research

The findings warrant further large-scale, randomized controlled studies to evaluate the efficacy of ABMDN transplantation in larger animals and humans.

Clinical Trials

The study provides a basis for conducting phase I human trials to assess the safety and efficacy of ABMDN therapy in patients with spinal cord injury.

Study Limitations

1
The study was conducted only on rats, and the results may not be directly applicable to humans.
2
The follow-up period was limited to 8 weeks, and long-term effects of the cell transplantation were not assessed.
3
Further research is needed to optimize the cell transplantation protocol and to investigate the mechanisms underlying the observed therapeutic effects.

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