The Effect of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Wharton’s Jelly in Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Is Dose-Dependent and Can Be Facilitated by Repeated Application

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018 · DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051503 · Published: May 17, 2018

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine

Simple Explanation

This study explores how Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) can help repair spinal cord injuries in rats. The scientists tested different amounts of cells and how often they were given to see which approach worked best. The cells were injected into the spinal fluid of rats with injuries similar to those caused by spinal compression in humans. The rats' movement abilities were checked over time, and their spinal cord tissue was examined to see how well it had healed. The results showed that using higher doses of stem cells and giving them multiple times led to the best improvements in movement and healing of the spinal cord. This suggests that this type of stem cell treatment could be a promising way to help people recover from spinal cord injuries.

Study Duration

9 weeks

Participants

90 adult Wistar male rats

Evidence Level

Level II: Experimental study in rats

Key Findings

1
Functional recovery of hind limb motion in treated rats was partially dependent on the number of applied cells; higher doses showed better results in BBB testing.
2
Repeated injections led to visible effects in advanced motor function testing, such as crossing a beam, indicating improved motor skills with multiple treatments.
3
Immunohistochemical analyses showed that transplantation of hWJ-MSCs facilitates axonal sprouting and plays a role in decreasing glial scar formation.

Research Summary

This study investigates the dose-dependent effect of human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hWJ-MSCs) on spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery in rats, comparing single and repeated intrathecal applications of different cell numbers. Behavioral tests, histological analyses, and qRT-PCR were used to assess functional recovery, tissue sparing, axonal sprouting, astrogliosis, and gene expression related to inflammation and apoptosis. The findings indicate that hWJ-MSCs improve functional outcomes, modulate inflammatory responses, induce axonal sprouting, and remodel glial scars, with the most significant improvements observed with repeated delivery of higher cell doses.

Practical Implications

Clinical Translation

The study suggests that repeated application of hWJ-MSCs could be a viable therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury patients, particularly those with spinal cord compression.

Dosage Optimization

The dose-dependent effect highlights the importance of optimizing cell dosage in stem cell therapies for SCI to achieve maximum functional recovery.

Mechanism Understanding

The observed modulation of inflammatory responses and promotion of axonal sprouting provide insights into the mechanisms through which hWJ-MSCs facilitate spinal cord repair.

Study Limitations

1
The study was conducted on rats, and the results may not directly translate to humans.
2
The survival rate of transplanted cells in the vertebral canal is low, which may limit the long-term efficacy of the treatment.
3
Further research is needed to elucidate the exact mechanisms by which hWJ-MSCs promote spinal cord repair and to optimize the delivery method.

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