1
|
Zhao X, Gu R, Zhao Y, Wei F, Gao X, Zhuang Y, Xiao Z, Shen H, Dai J. Adult spinal cord tissue transplantation combined with local tacrolimus sustained-release collagen hydrogel promotes complete spinal cord injury repair. Cell Prolif 2023; 56:e13451. [PMID: 36916024 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The strategy of replacing a completely damaged spinal cord with allogenic adult spinal cord tissues (aSCs) can potentially repair complete spinal cord injury (SCI) in combination with immunosuppressive drugs, such as tacrolimus (Tac), which suppress transplant rejection and improve graft survival. However, daily systemic administration of immunosuppressive agents may cause harsh side effects. Herein, a localized, sustained Tac-release collagen hydrogel (Col/Tac) was developed to maximize the immune regulatory efficacy but minimize the side effects of Tac after aSC transplantation in complete SCI recipients. Thoracic aSCs of rat donors were transplanted into the complete thoracic spinal cord transection rat recipients, after which Col/Tac hydrogel was implanted. The Tac-encapsulated collagen hydrogel exhibited suitable mechanical properties and long-term sustained Tac release behaviour. After Col/Tac hydrogel implantation in SCI rats with aSC transplantation, the recipients' survival rate significantly improved and the side effects on tissues were reduced compared with those with conventional Tac medication. Moreover, treatment with the Col/Tac hydrogel exhibited similarly reduced immune rejection levels by regulating immune responses and promoted neurogenesis compared to daily Tac injections, and thus improved functional restoration. Localized delivery of immunosuppressive agents by the Col/Tac hydrogel may be a promising strategy for overcoming immune rejection of transplants, with significant potential for clinical application in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinhao Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.,China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.,State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Gu
- China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yannan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Wei
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.,School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xu Gao
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.,China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yan Zhuang
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.,School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhifeng Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - He Shen
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.,School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jianwu Dai
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gao X, You Z, Li Y, Kang X, Yang W, Wang H, Zhang T, Zhao X, Sun Y, Shen H, Dai J. Multifunctional hydrogel modulates the immune microenvironment to improve allogeneic spinal cord tissue survival for complete spinal cord injury repair. Acta Biomater 2023; 155:235-246. [PMID: 36384221 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Transplantation of allogeneic adult spinal cord tissues (aSCTs) to replace the injured spinal cord, serves as a promising strategy in complete spinal cord injury (SCI) repair. However, in addition to allograft immune rejection, damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP)-mediated inflammatory microenvironments greatly impair the survival and function of transplants. In this study, we aimed to regulate the immune microenvironment after aSCT implantation by developing a functional hybrid gelatin and hyaluronic acid hydrogel (F-G/H) modified with cationic polymers and anti-inflammatory cytokines that can gelatinize at both ends of the aSCT to glue the grafts for perfect matching at defects. The F-G/H hydrogel exhibited the capacities of DAMP scavenging, sustainably released anti-inflammatory cytokines, and reduced lymphocyte accumulation, thereby modulating the immune response and enhancing the survival and function of aSCTs. When the hydrogel was used in combination with a systemic immunosuppressive drug treatment, the locomotor functions of SCI rats were significantly improved after aSCTs and F-G/H transplantation. This biomaterial-based immunomodulatory strategy may provide the potential for spinal cord graft replacement for treating SCI. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we aimed to regulate the immune microenvironment by developing a functional hybrid gelatin and hyaluronic acid hydrogel (F-G/H) modified with cationic polymers and anti-inflammatory cytokines that can gelatinize at both ends of the aSCT to glue the grafts for perfect matching at defects. We found that with the treatment of F-G/H hydrogel, the aSCT survival and function was significantly improved, as a result of reducing recruitment and activation of immune cells through TLR- and ST-2- related signaling. With the combination of immunosuppressive drug treatment, the locomotor functions of SCI rats were significantly improved after aSCTs and F-G/H transplantation. Findings from this work suggest the potential application of the F-G/H as a biomaterial-based immunoregulatory strategy for improving the therapeutic efficiency of the transplanted spinal cord graft for spinal cord injury repair.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xu Gao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, P. R. China; Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Zhifeng You
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yue Li
- i-Lab, Key Laboratory of Multifunction Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Xinyi Kang
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Wen Yang
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Huiru Wang
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- i-Lab, Key Laboratory of Multifunction Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Xinhao Zhao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, P. R. China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
| | - Yifu Sun
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, P. R. China.
| | - He Shen
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Jianwu Dai
- Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface Research, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of NanoTech and NanoBionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu W, Tao JC, Zhu SZ, Dai CL, Wang YX, Yu B, Yao C, Sun YY. Expression and regulatory network of long noncoding RNA in rats after spinal cord hemisection injury. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:2300-2304. [PMID: 35259853 PMCID: PMC9083175 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.337052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in a variety of biological processes and diseases. However, the expression and function of lncRNAs after spinal cord injury has not been extensively analyzed. In this study of right side hemisection of the spinal cord at T10, we detected the expression of lncRNAs in the proximal tissue of T10 lamina at different time points and found 445 lncRNAs and 6522 mRNA were differentially expressed. We divided the differentially expressed lncRNAs into 26 expression trends and analyzed Profile 25 and Profile 2, the two expression trends with the most significant difference. Our results showed that the expression of 68 lncRNAs in Profile 25 rose first and remained high 3 days post-injury. There were 387 mRNAs co-expressed with the 68 lncRNAs in Profile 25. The co-expression network showed that the co-expressed genes were mainly enriched in cell division, inflammatory response, FcγR-mediated cell phagocytosis signaling pathway, cell cycle and apoptosis. The expression of 56 lncRNAs in Profile2 first declined and remained low after 3 days post-injury. There were 387 mRNAs co-expressed with the 56 lncRNAs in Profile 2. The co-expression network showed that the co-expressed genes were mainly enriched in the chemical synaptic transmission process and in the signaling pathway of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. The results provided the expression and regulatory network of the main lncRNAs after spinal cord injury and clarified their co-expressed gene enriched biological processes and signaling pathways. These findings provide a new direction for the clinical treatment of spinal cord injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jin-Cheng Tao
- Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Sheng-Ze Zhu
- Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chao-Lun Dai
- Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ya-Xian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Bin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chun Yao
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yu-Yu Sun
- Department of Orthopedics, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang Q, He X, Wang B, Pan J, Shi C, Li J, Wang L, Zhao Y, Dai J, Wang D. Injectable collagen scaffold promotes swine myocardial infarction recovery by long-term local retention of transplanted human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 64:269-281. [PMID: 32712833 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-019-1575-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stem cell therapy is an attractive approach for recovery from myocardial infarction (MI) but faces the challenges of rapid diffusion and poor survival after transplantation. Here we developed an injectable collagen scaffold to promote the long-term retention of transplanted cells in chronic MI. Forty-five minipigs underwent left anterior descending artery (LAD) ligation and were equally divided into three groups 2 months later (collagen scaffold loading with human umbilical mesenchymal stem cell (hUMSC) group, hUMSC group, and placebo group (only phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) injection)). Immunofluorescence staining indicated that the retention of transplanted cells was promoted by the collagen scaffold. Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) showed much higher left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and lower infarct size percentage in the collagen/hUMSC group than in the hUMSC and placebo groups at 12 months after treatment. There were also higher densities of vWf-, α-sma-, and cTnT-positive cells in the infarct border zone in the collagen/cell group, as revealed by immunohistochemical analysis, suggesting better angiogenesis and more cardiomyocyte survival after MI. Thus, the injectable collagen scaffold was safe and effective on a large animal myocardial model, which is beneficial for constructing a favorable microenvironment for applying stem cells in clinical MI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xiaojun He
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Center for Clinical Stem Cell Research, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Jun Pan
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Chunying Shi
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266021, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Cardiology, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Liudi Wang
- Center for Clinical Stem Cell Research, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yannan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Jianwu Dai
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Dongjin Wang
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Allotransplantation of adult spinal cord tissues after complete transected spinal cord injury: Long-term survival and functional recovery in canines. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 63:1879-1886. [PMID: 32382980 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-019-1623-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI), especially complete transected SCI, leads to loss of cells and extracellular matrix and functional impairments. In a previous study, we transplanted adult spinal cord tissues (aSCTs) to replace lost tissues and facilitate recovery in a rat SCI model. However, rodents display considerable differences from human patients in the scale, anatomy and functions of spinal cord systems, and responses after injury. Thus, use of a large animal SCI model is required to examine the repair efficiency of potential therapeutic approaches. In this study, we transplanted allogenic aSCTs from adult dogs to the lesion area of canines after complete transection of the thoracic spinal cord, and investigated the long-term cell survival and functional recovery. To enhance repair efficiency, a growth factor cocktail was added during aSCT transplantation, providing a favorable microenvironment. The results showed that transplantation of aSCTs, in particular with the addition of growth factors, significantly improves locomotor function restoration and increases the number of neurofilament-, microtubule-associated protein 2-, 5-hydroxytryptamine-, choline acetyltransferase- and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the lesion area at 6 months post-surgery. In addition, we demonstrated that donor neurons in aSCTs can survive for a long period after transplantation. This study showed for the first time that transplanting aSCTs combined with growth factor supplementation facilitates reconstruction of injured spinal cords, and consequently promotes long lasting motor function recovery in a large animal complete transected SCI model, and therefore could be considered as a possible therapeutic strategy in humans.
Collapse
|