Therapeutic Potential of Induced Neural Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries often lead to permanent loss of function due to the limited regenerative capacity of the spinal cord. This study explores a potential cell-based therapy using induced neural stem cells (iNSCs). Researchers directly converted fibroblasts (skin cells) into iNSCs and transplanted them into rats with spinal cord injuries to observe if these cells could aid in functional recovery. The results showed that iNSCs can differentiate into various types of nerve cells, promote nerve fiber regeneration, and reduce inflammation, leading to improved motor function in the injured rats.

• 1
  Engrafted iNSCs can differentiate into all neuronal lineages, including different subtypes of mature neurons, and form synapses with host neurons.
• 2
  iNSC transplantation effectively reduced the inflammatory response and apoptosis in the injured area, promoting active regeneration of the endogenous recipient environment without tumor formation.
• 3
  iNSC-transplanted groups exhibited consistently higher BBB scores and reduced ladder scores than those of the vehicle control, indicating improved locomotor recovery.