RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Schwann Cells Generated from Neonatal Skin-Derived Precursors or Neonatal Peripheral Nerve Improve Functional Recovery after Acute Transplantation into the Partially Injured Cervical Spinal Cord of the Rat
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 6714
OP 6730
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1070-14.2015
VO 35
IS 17
A1 Joseph S. Sparling
A1 Frederic Bretzner
A1 Jeff Biernaskie
A1 Peggy Assinck
A1 Yuan Jiang
A1 Hiroki Arisato
A1 Ward T. Plunet
A1 Jaimie Borisoff
A1 Jie Liu
A1 Freda D. Miller
A1 Wolfram Tetzlaff
YR 2015
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/35/17/6714.abstract
AB The transplantation of Schwann cells (SCs) holds considerable promise as a therapy for spinal cord injury, but the optimal source of these cells and the best timing for intervention remains debatable. Previously, we demonstrated that delayed transplantation of SCs generated from neonatal mouse skin-derived precursors (SKP-SCs) promoted repair and functional recovery in rats with thoracic contusions. Here, we conducted two experiments using neonatal rat cells and an incomplete cervical injury model to examine the efficacy of acute SKP-SC transplantation versus media control (Experiment 1) and versus nerve-derived SC or dermal fibroblast (Fibro) transplantation (Experiment 2). Despite limited graft survival, by 10 weeks after injury, rats that received SCs from either source showed improved functional recovery compared with media- or fibroblast-treated animals. Compared with media treatment, SKP-SC-transplanted rats showed enhanced rubrospinal tract (RST) sparing/plasticity in the gray matter (GM) rostral to injury, particularly in the absence of immunosuppression. The functional benefits of SC transplantations over fibroblast treatment correlated with the enhanced preservation of host tissue, reduced RST atrophy, and/or increased RST sparing/plasticity in the GM. In summary, our results indicate that: (1) early transplantation of neonatal SCs generated from skin or nerve promotes repair and functional recovery after incomplete cervical crush injury; (2) either of these cell types is preferable to Fibros for these purposes; and (3) age-matched SCs from these two sources do not differ in terms of their reparative effects or functional efficacy after transplantation into the injured cervical spinal cord.