Cells, 2021 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10061316 · Published: May 25, 2021
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are being explored as a therapy for spinal cord injury due to their ability to support tissue repair. This study investigates whether priming MSCs with inflammatory stimuli from macrophages can enhance their therapeutic effects in a rat model of spinal cord injury. The researchers found that while primed MSCs initially showed an increase in anti-inflammatory macrophages at the injury site, they had decreased long-term survival compared to unprimed MSCs. The study also examined blood vessel presence, nervous tissue sparing, and functional recovery, finding no significant differences between the primed MSCs and unprimed MSCs. The results suggest that while macrophage-derived inflammation priming can alter the behavior of MSCs, it does not necessarily increase their overall therapeutic potential for spinal cord repair in rats. The reduced survival of the primed MSCs may limit their ability to provide long-term benefits.
Further research is needed to fine-tune MSC priming methods to balance therapeutic potential with transplant survival, potentially through understanding the mechanisms underlying MSC-environment interactions.
The transient anti-inflammatory effect of pMSCs suggests potential for designing therapies that leverage early immunomodulation to promote spinal cord repair.
Strategies to enhance MSC survival in the hostile SCI environment, such as promoting autophagy during priming, could improve the long-term efficacy of MSC-based therapies.