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Cao J, Yu X, Liu J, Fu J, Wang B, Wu C, Zhang S, Chen H, Wang Z, Xu Y, Sui T, Chang J, Cao X. Ruxolitinib improves the inflammatory microenvironment, restores glutamate homeostasis, and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:2499-2512. [PMID: 38526286 PMCID: PMC11090442 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202419110-00030/figure1/v/2024-03-08T184507Z/r/image-tiff The inflammatory microenvironment and neurotoxicity can hinder neuronal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Ruxolitinib, a JAK-STAT inhibitor, exhibits effectiveness in autoimmune diseases, arthritis, and managing inflammatory cytokine storms. Although studies have shown the neuroprotective potential of ruxolitinib in neurological trauma, the exact mechanism by which it enhances functional recovery after spinal cord injury, particularly its effect on astrocytes, remains unclear. To address this gap, we established a mouse model of T10 spinal cord contusion and found that ruxolitinib effectively improved hindlimb motor function and reduced the area of spinal cord injury. Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that ruxolitinib alleviated inflammation and immune response after spinal cord injury, restored EAAT2 expression, reduced glutamate levels, and alleviated excitatory toxicity. Furthermore, ruxolitinib inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 in the injured spinal cord and decreased the phosphorylation level of nuclear factor kappa-B and the expression of inflammatory factors interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Additionally, in glutamate-induced excitotoxicity astrocytes, ruxolitinib restored EAAT2 expression and increased glutamate uptake by inhibiting the activation of STAT3, thereby reducing glutamate-induced neurotoxicity, calcium influx, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis, and increasing the complexity of dendritic branching. Collectively, these results indicate that ruxolitinib restores glutamate homeostasis by rescuing the expression of EAAT2 in astrocytes, reduces neurotoxicity, and effectively alleviates inflammatory and immune responses after spinal cord injury, thereby promoting functional recovery after spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Cao
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jingcheng Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jiaju Fu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Binyu Wang
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Subei People’s Hospital of Jiangsu, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chaoqin Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hongtao Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zi Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yinyang Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tao Sui
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jie Chang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiaojian Cao
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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2
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Vardhan S, Jordan T, Sakiyama-Elbert S. Stem cell engineering approaches for investigating glial cues in central nervous system disorders. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103131. [PMID: 38599012 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Glial cells are important in maintaining homeostasis for neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). During CNS disease or after injury, glia react to altered microenvironments and often acquire altered functions that contribute to disease pathology. A major focus for research is utilizing stem cell (SC)-derived glia as a potential renewable source for cell replacement to restore function, including neuronal support, and as a model for disease states to identify therapeutic targets. In this review, we focus on SC differentiation protocols for deriving three types of glial cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia. These SC-derived glia can be used to identify critical cues that contribute to CNS disease progression and aid in investigation of therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangamithra Vardhan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, 850 Republican Street, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Tyler Jordan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, 850 Republican Street, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, 850 Republican Street, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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3
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Adewumi HO, Berniac GI, McCarthy EA, O'Shea TM. Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke lesion environments differentially alter the glia repair potential of neural progenitor cell and immature astrocyte grafts. Exp Neurol 2024; 374:114692. [PMID: 38244885 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Using cell grafting to direct glia-based repair mechanisms in adult CNS injuries represents a potential therapeutic strategy for supporting functional neural parenchymal repair. However, glia repair directed by neural progenitor cell (NPC) grafts is dramatically altered by increasing lesion size, severity, and mode of injury. To address this, we studied the interplay between astrocyte differentiation and cell proliferation of NPC in vitro to generate proliferating immature astrocytes (ImA) using hysteretic conditioning. ImA maintain proliferation rates at comparable levels to NPC but showed robust immature astrocyte marker expression including Gfap and Vimentin. ImA demonstrated enhanced resistance to myofibroblast-like phenotypic transformations upon exposure to serum enriched environments in vitro compared to NPC and were more effective at scratch wound closure in vitro compared to quiescent astrocytes. Glia repair directed by ImA at acute ischemic striatal stroke lesions was equivalent to NPC but better than quiescent astrocyte grafts. While ischemic injury environments supported enhanced survival of grafts compared to healthy striatum, hemorrhagic lesions were hostile towards both NPC and ImA grafts leading to poor survival and ineffective modulation of natural wound repair processes. Our findings demonstrate that lesion environments, rather than transcriptional pre-graft states, determine the survival, cell-fate, and glia repair competency of cell grafts applied to acute CNS injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honour O Adewumi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215-2407, USA
| | - Gabriela I Berniac
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215-2407, USA
| | - Emily A McCarthy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215-2407, USA
| | - Timothy M O'Shea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215-2407, USA.
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Urban MW, Charsar BA, Heinsinger NM, Markandaiah SS, Sprimont L, Zhou W, Brown EV, Henderson NT, Thomas SJ, Ghosh B, Cain RE, Trotti D, Pasinelli P, Wright MC, Dalva MB, Lepore AC. EphrinB2 knockdown in cervical spinal cord preserves diaphragm innervation in a mutant SOD1 mouse model of ALS. eLife 2024; 12:RP89298. [PMID: 38224498 PMCID: PMC10945582 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss. Importantly, non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes also play significant roles in disease pathogenesis. However, mechanisms of astrocyte contribution to ALS remain incompletely understood. Astrocyte involvement suggests that transcellular signaling may play a role in disease. We examined contribution of transmembrane signaling molecule ephrinB2 to ALS pathogenesis, in particular its role in driving motor neuron damage by spinal cord astrocytes. In symptomatic SOD1G93A mice (a well-established ALS model), ephrinB2 expression was dramatically increased in ventral horn astrocytes. Reducing ephrinB2 in the cervical spinal cord ventral horn via viral-mediated shRNA delivery reduced motor neuron loss and preserved respiratory function by maintaining phrenic motor neuron innervation of diaphragm. EphrinB2 expression was also elevated in human ALS spinal cord. These findings implicate ephrinB2 upregulation as both a transcellular signaling mechanism in mutant SOD1-associated ALS and a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Brittany A Charsar
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Nicolette M Heinsinger
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Shashirekha S Markandaiah
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Lindsay Sprimont
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Eric V Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Nathan T Henderson
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Samantha J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Rachel E Cain
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia UniversityGlensideUnited States
| | - Matthew B Dalva
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane UniversityNew OrleansUnited States
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
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5
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Urban MW, Charsar BA, Heinsinger NM, Markandaiah SS, Sprimont L, Zhou W, Brown EV, Henderson NT, Thomas SJ, Ghosh B, Cain RE, Trotti D, Pasinelli P, Wright MC, Dalva MB, Lepore AC. EphrinB2 knockdown in cervical spinal cord preserves diaphragm innervation in a mutant SOD1 mouse model of ALS. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.10.538887. [PMID: 37215009 PMCID: PMC10197713 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.538887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron loss. Importantly, non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes also play significant roles in disease pathogenesis. However, mechanisms of astrocyte contribution to ALS remain incompletely understood. Astrocyte involvement suggests that transcellular signaling may play a role in disease. We examined contribution of transmembrane signaling molecule ephrinB2 to ALS pathogenesis, in particular its role in driving motor neuron damage by spinal cord astrocytes. In symptomatic SOD1-G93A mice (a well-established ALS model), ephrinB2 expression was dramatically increased in ventral horn astrocytes. Reducing ephrinB2 in the cervical spinal cord ventral horn via viral-mediated shRNA delivery reduced motor neuron loss and preserved respiratory function by maintaining phrenic motor neuron innervation of diaphragm. EphrinB2 expression was also elevated in human ALS spinal cord. These findings implicate ephrinB2 upregulation as both a transcellular signaling mechanism in mutant SOD1-associated ALS and a promising therapeutic target.
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6
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Michel-Flutot P, Lane MA, Lepore AC, Vinit S. Therapeutic Strategies Targeting Respiratory Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury: From Preclinical Development to Clinical Translation. Cells 2023; 12:1519. [PMID: 37296640 PMCID: PMC10252981 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
High spinal cord injuries (SCIs) lead to permanent functional deficits, including respiratory dysfunction. Patients living with such conditions often rely on ventilatory assistance to survive, and even those that can be weaned continue to suffer life-threatening impairments. There is currently no treatment for SCI that is capable of providing complete recovery of diaphragm activity and respiratory function. The diaphragm is the main inspiratory muscle, and its activity is controlled by phrenic motoneurons (phMNs) located in the cervical (C3-C5) spinal cord. Preserving and/or restoring phMN activity following a high SCI is essential for achieving voluntary control of breathing. In this review, we will highlight (1) the current knowledge of inflammatory and spontaneous pro-regenerative processes occurring after SCI, (2) key therapeutics developed to date, and (3) how these can be harnessed to drive respiratory recovery following SCIs. These therapeutic approaches are typically first developed and tested in relevant preclinical models, with some of them having been translated into clinical studies. A better understanding of inflammatory and pro-regenerative processes, as well as how they can be therapeutically manipulated, will be the key to achieving optimal functional recovery following SCIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Michel-Flutot
- END-ICAP, UVSQ, Inserm, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France;
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA;
| | - Michael A. Lane
- Marion Murray Spinal Cord Research Center, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA;
| | - Angelo C. Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA;
| | - Stéphane Vinit
- END-ICAP, UVSQ, Inserm, Université Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France;
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Xu J, Fang S, Deng S, Li H, Lin X, Huang Y, Chung S, Shu Y, Shao Z. Generation of neural organoids for spinal-cord regeneration via the direct reprogramming of human astrocytes. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:253-269. [PMID: 36424465 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00963-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Organoids with region-specific architecture could facilitate the repair of injuries of the central nervous system. Here we show that human astrocytes can be directly reprogrammed into early neuroectodermal cells via the overexpression of OCT4, the suppression of p53 and the provision of the small molecules CHIR99021, SB431542, RepSox and Y27632. We also report that the activation of signalling mediated by fibroblast growth factor, sonic hedgehog and bone morphogenetic protein 4 in the reprogrammed cells induces them to form spinal-cord organoids with functional neurons specific to the dorsal and ventral domains. In mice with complete spinal-cord injury, organoids transplanted into the lesion differentiated into spinal-cord neurons, which migrated and formed synapses with host neurons. The direct reprogramming of human astrocytes into neurons may pave the way for in vivo neural organogenesis from endogenous astrocytes for the repair of injuries to the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhong Xu
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative, Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Shi Fang
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative, Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Suixin Deng
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huijuan Li
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoning Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yongheng Huang
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative, Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Sangmi Chung
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Yousheng Shu
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhicheng Shao
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative, Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
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Allahyari RV, Heinsinger NM, Hwang D, Jaffe DA, Rasouli J, Shiers S, Thomas SJ, Price TJ, Rostami A, Lepore AC. Response of Astrocyte Subpopulations Following Spinal Cord Injury. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040721. [PMID: 35203371 PMCID: PMC8870235 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing appreciation for astrocyte heterogeneity both across and within central nervous system (CNS) regions, as well as between intact and diseased states. Recent work identified multiple astrocyte subpopulations in mature brain. Interestingly, one subpopulation (Population C) was shown to possess significantly enhanced synaptogenic properties in vitro, as compared with other astrocyte subpopulations of adult cortex and spinal cord. Following spinal cord injury (SCI), damaged neurons lose synaptic connections with neuronal partners, resulting in persistent functional loss. We determined whether SCI induces an enhanced synaptomodulatory astrocyte phenotype by shifting toward a greater proportion of Population C cells and/or increasing expression of relevant synapse formation-associated genes within one or more astrocyte subpopulations. Using flow cytometry and RNAscope in situ hybridization, we found that astrocyte subpopulation distribution in the spinal cord did not change to a selectively synaptogenic phenotype following mouse cervical hemisection-type SCI. We also found that spinal cord astrocytes expressed synapse formation-associated genes to a similar degree across subpopulations, as well as in an unchanged manner between uninjured and SCI conditions. Finally, we confirmed these astrocyte subpopulations are also present in the human spinal cord in a similar distribution as mouse, suggesting possible conservation of spinal cord astrocyte heterogeneity across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Vivian Allahyari
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (R.V.A.); (N.M.H.); (D.A.J.); (S.J.T.)
| | - Nicolette M. Heinsinger
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (R.V.A.); (N.M.H.); (D.A.J.); (S.J.T.)
| | - Daniel Hwang
- Department of Neurology, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (D.H.); (J.R.); (A.R.)
| | - David A. Jaffe
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (R.V.A.); (N.M.H.); (D.A.J.); (S.J.T.)
| | - Javad Rasouli
- Department of Neurology, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (D.H.); (J.R.); (A.R.)
| | - Stephanie Shiers
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (S.S.); (T.J.P.)
| | - Samantha J. Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (R.V.A.); (N.M.H.); (D.A.J.); (S.J.T.)
| | - Theodore J. Price
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (S.S.); (T.J.P.)
| | - Abdolmohamad Rostami
- Department of Neurology, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (D.H.); (J.R.); (A.R.)
| | - Angelo C. Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (R.V.A.); (N.M.H.); (D.A.J.); (S.J.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-215-503-5864
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9
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Zheng
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, the School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Wei Wang, Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China. Tel: +86-27-83663657, E-mail:
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10
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Cell transplantation to repair the injured spinal cord. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 166:79-158. [PMID: 36424097 PMCID: PMC10008620 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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11
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Martín-López M, González-Muñoz E, Gómez-González E, Sánchez-Pernaute R, Márquez-Rivas J, Fernández-Muñoz B. Modeling chronic cervical spinal cord injury in aged rats for cell therapy studies. J Clin Neurosci 2021; 94:76-85. [PMID: 34863466 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.09.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
With an expanding elderly population, an increasing number of older adults will experience spinal cord injury (SCI) and might be candidates for cell-based therapies, yet there is a paucity of research in this age group. The objective of the present study was to analyze how aged rats tolerate behavioral testing, surgical procedures, post-operative complications, intra-spinal cell transplantation and immunosuppression, and to examine the effectiveness of human iPSC-derived Neural Progenitor Cells (IMR90-hiPSC-NPCs) in a model of SCI. We performed behavioral tests in rats before and after inducing cervical hemi-contusions at C4 level with a fourth-generation Ohio State University Injury Device. Four weeks later, we injected IMR90-hiPSC-NPCs in animals that were immunosuppressed by daily cyclosporine injection. Four weeks after injection we analyzed locomotor behavior and mortality, and histologically assessed the survival of transplanted human NPCs. As rats aged, their success at completing behavioral tests decreased. In addition, we observed high mortality rates during behavioral training (41.2%), after cervical injury (63.2%) and after cell injection (50%). Histological analysis revealed that injected cells survived and remained at and around the grafted site and did not cause tumors. No locomotor improvement was observed in animals four weeks after IMR90-hiPSC-NPC transplantation. Our results show that elderly rats are highly vulnerable to interventions, and thus large groups of animals must be initially established to study the potential efficacy of cell-based therapies in age-related chronic myelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Martín-López
- Unidad de Producción y Reprogramación celular (UPRC), Red Andaluza de Diseño y Traslación de Terapias Avanzadas (RAdytTA), 41092 Sevilla, Spain; Grupo de Neurociencia Aplicada, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Sevilla (IBIS), 41013 Sevilla, Spain; Programa de Doctorado en Biología Molecular, Biomedicina e Investigación Clínica, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Elena González-Muñoz
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, (CIBER-BBN), 29071 Málaga, Spain.
| | - Emilio Gómez-González
- Grupo de Neurociencia Aplicada, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Sevilla (IBIS), 41013 Sevilla, Spain; Grupo de Física Interdisciplinar, Departamento de Física Aplicada III, ETS Ingeniería, Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Rosario Sánchez-Pernaute
- Unidad de Coordinación, Red Andaluza de Diseño y Traslación de Terapias Avanzadas (RAdytTA), 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Javier Márquez-Rivas
- Grupo de Neurociencia Aplicada, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Sevilla (IBIS), 41013 Sevilla, Spain; Departamento de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Beatriz Fernández-Muñoz
- Unidad de Producción y Reprogramación celular (UPRC), Red Andaluza de Diseño y Traslación de Terapias Avanzadas (RAdytTA), 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
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12
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Liu D, Bobrovskaya L, Zhou XF. Cell Therapy for Neurological Disorders: The Perspective of Promising Cells. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1142. [PMID: 34827135 PMCID: PMC8614777 DOI: 10.3390/biology10111142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neurological disorders are big public health challenges that are afflicting hundreds of millions of people around the world. Although many conventional pharmacological therapies have been tested in patients, their therapeutic efficacies to alleviate their symptoms and slow down the course of the diseases are usually limited. Cell therapy has attracted the interest of many researchers in the last several decades and has brought new hope for treating neurological disorders. Moreover, numerous studies have shown promising results. However, none of the studies has led to a promising therapy for patients with neurological disorders, despite the ongoing and completed clinical trials. There are many factors that may affect the outcome of cell therapy for neurological disorders due to the complexity of the nervous system, especially cell types for transplantation and the specific disease for treatment. This paper provides a review of the various cell types from humans that may be clinically used for neurological disorders, based on their characteristics and current progress in related studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xin-Fu Zhou
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; (D.L.); (L.B.)
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13
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Nishimura K, Takata K. Combination of Drugs and Cell Transplantation: More Beneficial Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies Targeting Neurological Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22169047. [PMID: 34445753 PMCID: PMC8396512 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22169047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell transplantation therapy using pluripotent/multipotent stem cells has gained attention as a novel therapeutic strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, ischemic stroke, and spinal cord injury. To fully realize the potential of cell transplantation therapy, new therapeutic options that increase cell engraftments must be developed, either through modifications to the grafted cells themselves or through changes in the microenvironment surrounding the grafted region. Together these developments could potentially restore lost neuronal function by better supporting grafted cells. In addition, drug administration can improve the outcome of cell transplantation therapy through better accessibility and delivery to the target region following cell transplantation. Here we introduce examples of drug repurposing approaches for more successful transplantation therapies based on preclinical experiments with clinically approved drugs. Drug repurposing is an advantageous drug development strategy because drugs that have already been clinically approved can be repurposed to treat other diseases faster and at lower cost. Therefore, drug repurposing is a reasonable approach to enhance the outcomes of cell transplantation therapies for neurological diseases. Ideal repurposing candidates would result in more efficient cell transplantation therapies and provide a new and beneficial therapeutic combination.
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14
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Hart CG, Karimi-Abdolrezaee S. Recent insights on astrocyte mechanisms in CNS homeostasis, pathology, and repair. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:2427-2462. [PMID: 34259342 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes play essential roles in development, homeostasis, injury, and repair of the central nervous system (CNS). Their development is tightly regulated by distinct spatial and temporal cues during embryogenesis and into adulthood throughout the CNS. Astrocytes have several important responsibilities such as regulating blood flow and permeability of the blood-CNS barrier, glucose metabolism and storage, synapse formation and function, and axon myelination. In CNS pathologies, astrocytes also play critical parts in both injury and repair mechanisms. Upon injury, they undergo a robust phenotypic shift known as "reactive astrogliosis," which results in both constructive and deleterious outcomes. Astrocyte activation and migration at the site of injury provides an early defense mechanism to minimize the extent of injury by enveloping the lesion area. However, astrogliosis also contributes to the inhibitory microenvironment of CNS injury and potentiate secondary injury mechanisms, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and glutamate excitotoxicity, which facilitate neurodegeneration in CNS pathologies. Intriguingly, reactive astrocytes are increasingly a focus in current therapeutic strategies as their activation can be modulated toward a neuroprotective and reparative phenotype. This review will discuss recent advancements in knowledge regarding the development and role of astrocytes in the healthy and pathological CNS. We will also review how astrocytes have been genetically modified to optimize their reparative potential after injury, and how they may be transdifferentiated into neurons and oligodendrocytes to promote repair after CNS injury and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Hart
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Spinal Cord Research Centre, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Soheila Karimi-Abdolrezaee
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Spinal Cord Research Centre, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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15
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McIntyre WB, Pieczonka K, Khazaei M, Fehlings MG. Regenerative replacement of neural cells for treatment of spinal cord injury. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2021; 21:1411-1427. [PMID: 33830863 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2021.1914582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) results from primary physical injury to the spinal cord, which initiates a secondary cascade of neural cell death. Current therapeutic approaches can attenuate the consequences of the primary and secondary events, but do not address the degenerative aspects of SCI. Transplantation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) for the replacement of the lost/damaged neural cells is suggested here as a regenerative approach that is complementary to current therapeutics.Areas Covered: This review addresses how neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes are impacted by traumatic SCI, and how current research in regenerative-NPC therapeutics aims to restore their functionality. Methods used to enhance graft survival, as well as bias progenitor cells towards neuronal, oligodendrogenic, and astroglia lineages are discussed.Expert Opinion: Despite an NPC's ability to differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes in the transplant environment, their potential therapeutic efficacy requires further optimization prior to translation into the clinic. Considering the temporospatial identity of NPCs could promote neural repair in region specific injuries throughout the spinal cord. Moreover, understanding which cells are targeted by NPC-derived myelinating cells can help restore physiologically-relevant myelin patterns. Finally, the duality of astrocytes is discussed, outlining their context-dependent importance in the treatment of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Brett McIntyre
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Katarzyna Pieczonka
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mohamad Khazaei
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael G Fehlings
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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16
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Abstract
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) results in direct and indirect damage to neural tissues, which results in motor and sensory dysfunction, dystonia, and pathological reflex that ultimately lead to paraplegia or tetraplegia. A loss of cells, axon regeneration failure, and time-sensitive pathophysiology make tissue repair difficult. Despite various medical developments, there are currently no effective regenerative treatments. Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for SCI due to its multiple targets and reactivity benefits. The present review focuses on SCI stem cell therapy, including bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, umbilical mesenchymal stem cells, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells, neural progenitor cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and extracellular vesicles. Each cell type targets certain features of SCI pathology and shows therapeutic effects via cell replacement, nutritional support, scaffolds, and immunomodulation mechanisms. However, many preclinical studies and a growing number of clinical trials found that single-cell treatments had only limited benefits for SCI. SCI damage is multifaceted, and there is a growing consensus that a combined treatment is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyi Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, 34753West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, PR China
| | - Chenying Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, 34753West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Feng Xiong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, 34753West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, PR China
| | - Chengqi He
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, 34753West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, PR China
| | - Quan Wei
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, 34753West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine in Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, PR China
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17
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Li Y, Shen PP, Wang B. Induced pluripotent stem cell technology for spinal cord injury: a promising alternative therapy. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:1500-1509. [PMID: 33433463 PMCID: PMC8323703 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.303013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury has long been a prominent challenge in the trauma repair process. Spinal cord injury is a research hotspot by virtue of its difficulty to treat and its escalating morbidity. Furthermore, spinal cord injury has a long period of disease progression and leads to complications that exert a lot of mental and economic pressure on patients. There are currently a large number of therapeutic strategies for treating spinal cord injury, which range from pharmacological and surgical methods to cell therapy and rehabilitation training. All of these strategies have positive effects in the course of spinal cord injury treatment. This review mainly discusses the problems regarding stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury, including the characteristics and action modes of all relevant cell types. Induced pluripotent stem cells, which represent a special kind of stem cell population, have gained impetus in cell therapy development because of a range of advantages. Induced pluripotent stem cells can be developed into the precursor cells of each neural cell type at the site of spinal cord injury, and have great potential for application in spinal cord injury therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Li
- Clinical Stem Cell Center, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ping-Ping Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and The Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Clinical Stem Cell Center, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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18
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Cheng L, Sami A, Ghosh B, Urban MW, Heinsinger NM, Liang SS, Smith GM, Wright MC, Li S, Lepore AC. LAR inhibitory peptide promotes recovery of diaphragm function and multiple forms of respiratory neural circuit plasticity after cervical spinal cord injury. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 147:105153. [PMID: 33127470 PMCID: PMC7726004 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), up-regulated in and around the lesion after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), are key extracellular matrix inhibitory molecules that limit axon growth and consequent recovery of function. CSPG-mediated inhibition occurs via interactions with axonal receptors, including leukocyte common antigen- related (LAR) phosphatase. We tested the effects of a novel LAR inhibitory peptide in rats after hemisection at cervical level 2, a SCI model in which bulbospinal inspiratory neural circuitry originating in the medullary rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) becomes disconnected from phrenic motor neuron (PhMN) targets in cervical spinal cord, resulting in persistent partial-to-complete diaphragm paralysis. LAR peptide was delivered by a soaked gelfoam, which was placed directly over the injury site immediately after C2 hemisection and replaced at 1 week post-injury. Axotomized rVRG axons originating in ipsilateral medulla or spared rVRG fibers originating in contralateral medulla were separately assessed by anterograde tracing via AAV2-mCherry injection into rVRG. At 8 weeks post-hemisection, LAR peptide significantly improved ipsilateral hemidiaphragm function, as assessed in vivo with electromyography recordings. LAR peptide promoted robust regeneration of ipsilateral-originating rVRG axons into and through the lesion site and into intact caudal spinal cord to reach PhMNs located at C3-C5 levels. Furthermore, regenerating rVRG axons re-established putative monosynaptic connections with their PhMNs targets. In addition, LAR peptide stimulated robust sprouting of both modulatory serotonergic axons and contralateral-originating rVRG fibers within the PhMN pool ipsilateral/ caudal to the hemisection. Our study demonstrates that targeting LAR-based axon growth inhibition promotes multiple forms of respiratory neural circuit plasticity and provides a new peptide-based therapeutic strategy to ameliorate the devastating respiratory consequences of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Cheng
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Armin Sami
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Nicolette M Heinsinger
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Sophia S Liang
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - George M Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals for Pediatric Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140-5104, United States of America
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA 19038, United States of America
| | - Shuxin Li
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Shriners Hospitals for Pediatric Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140-5104, United States of America
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America.
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19
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Pan Z, Oh J, Huang L, Zeng Z, Duan P, Li Z, Yun Y, Kim J, Ha Y, Cao K. The combination of forskolin and VPA increases gene expression efficiency to the hypoxia/neuron-specific system. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:933. [PMID: 32953733 PMCID: PMC7475429 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-3871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) tends to damage neural tissue and generate a hypoxic environment. Studies have confirmed that single therapy with gene or stem cells is inefficient, but research into combining stem cells and gene therapy in treating tissue damage has been undertaken to overcome the related limitations, which include low gene delivery efficiency and therapeutic outcome. Thus, a combination of stem cells, gene therapy, and a hypoxia-specific system may be useful for the reconstruction of SCI. Methods To synergistically treat SCI, a combined platform using a hypoxia/neuron-inducible gene expression system (HNIS) and human induced-neural stem cells (hiNSCs) produced by direct reprogramming was designed. Sox2- or nestin-positive hiNSCs were differentiated to Tuj1-, MAP2-, or NeuN-positive neurons. Results HNIS showed consistent hypoxia/neuron-specific gene expression in hiNSCs cultured under hypoxia. In particular, the HNIS-hiNSC combined platform revealed a complex pattern with higher gene expression compared with a single platform. In addition, we found that an optimal combination of small molecules, such as CHIR99021, valproic acid (VPA), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, could significantly enhance gene expression with HNIS-hiNSCs in the hypoxic environment. Conclusions This experiment demonstrated that HNIS-hiNSCs combined with GSK3 and HDAC inhibitors may present another promising strategy in the treatment of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Pan
- Spine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jinsoo Oh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Lu Huang
- Department of Child Health and Care, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhaoxun Zeng
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Pingguo Duan
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhiyun Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yeomin Yun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Janghwan Kim
- Stem Cell Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Ha
- Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kai Cao
- Spine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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20
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Gomes ED, Ghosh B, Lima R, Goulão M, Moreira-Gomes T, Martins-Macedo J, Urban MW, Wright MC, Gimble JM, Sousa N, Silva NA, Lepore AC, Salgado AJ. Combination of a Gellan Gum-Based Hydrogel With Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Cervical Spinal Cord Injury. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:984. [PMID: 32984278 PMCID: PMC7479129 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical spinal cord trauma represents more than half of the spinal cord injury (SCI) cases worldwide. Respiratory compromise, as well as severe limb motor deficits, are among the main consequences of cervical lesions. In the present work, a Gellan Gum (GG)-based hydrogel modified with GRGDS peptide, together with adipose tissue-derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs) and olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), was used as a therapeutic strategy after a C2 hemisection SCI in rats. Hydrogel or cells alone, and a group without treatment, were also tested. Four weeks after injury, compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) were performed to assess functional phrenic motor neuron (PhMN) innervation of the diaphragm; no differences were observed amongst groups, confirming that the PhMN pool located between C3 and C5 was not affected by the C2 injury or by the treatments. In the same line, the vast majority of diaphragmatic neuromuscular junctions remained intact. Five weeks post-injury, inspiratory bursting of the affected ipsilateral hemidiaphragm was evaluated through EMG recordings of dorsal, medial and ventral subregions of the muscle. All treatments significantly increased EMG amplitude at the ventral portion in comparison to untreated animals, but only the combinatorial group presented increased EMG amplitude at the medial portion of the hemidiaphragm. No differences were observed in forelimb motor function, neither in markers for axonal regrowth (neuronal tracers), astrogliosis (GFAP) and inflammatory cells (CD68). Moreover, using Von Frey testing of mechanical allodynia, it was possible to find a significant effect of the group combining hydrogel and cells on hypersensitivity; rats with a SCI displayed an increased response of the contralateral forelimb to a normally innocuous mechanical stimulus, but after treatment with the combinatorial therapy this behavior was reverted almost to the levels of uninjured controls. These results suggest that our therapeutic approach may have beneficial effects on both diaphragmatic recovery and sensory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo D Gomes
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rui Lima
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Miguel Goulão
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal.,Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Tiago Moreira-Gomes
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joana Martins-Macedo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Gimble
- Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno A Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - António J Salgado
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
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21
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Fischer I, Dulin JN, Lane MA. Transplanting neural progenitor cells to restore connectivity after spinal cord injury. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:366-383. [PMID: 32518349 PMCID: PMC8384139 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0314-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury remains a scientific and therapeutic challenge with great cost to individuals and society. The goal of research in this field is to find a means of restoring lost function. Recently we have seen considerable progress in understanding the injury process and the capacity of CNS neurons to regenerate, as well as innovations in stem cell biology. This presents an opportunity to develop effective transplantation strategies to provide new neural cells to promote the formation of new neuronal networks and functional connectivity. Past and ongoing clinical studies have demonstrated the safety of cell therapy, and preclinical research has used models of spinal cord injury to better elucidate the underlying mechanisms through which donor cells interact with the host and thus increase long-term efficacy. While a variety of cell therapies have been explored, we focus here on the use of neural progenitor cells obtained or derived from different sources to promote connectivity in sensory, motor and autonomic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itzhak Fischer
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Jennifer N Dulin
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Michael A Lane
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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22
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Antonios JP, Farah GJ, Cleary DR, Martin JR, Ciacci JD, Pham MH. Immunosuppressive mechanisms for stem cell transplant survival in spinal cord injury. Neurosurg Focus 2020; 46:E9. [PMID: 30835678 DOI: 10.3171/2018.12.focus18589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) has been associated with a dismal prognosis-recovery is not expected, and the most standard interventions have been temporizing measures that do little to mitigate the extent of damage. While advances in surgical and medical techniques have certainly improved this outlook, limitations in functional recovery continue to impede clinically significant improvements. These limitations are dependent on evolving immunological mechanisms that shape the cellular environment at the site of SCI. In this review, we examine these mechanisms, identify relevant cellular components, and discuss emerging treatments in stem cell grafts and adjuvant immunosuppressants that target these pathways. As the field advances, we expect that stem cell grafts and these adjuvant treatments will significantly shift therapeutic approaches to acute SCI with the potential for more promising outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Antonios
- 1David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles; and
| | - Ghassan J Farah
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California
| | - Daniel R Cleary
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California
| | - Joel R Martin
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California
| | - Joseph D Ciacci
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California
| | - Martin H Pham
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California
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23
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Charsar BA, Brinton MA, Locke K, Chen AY, Ghosh B, Urban MW, Komaravolu S, Krishnamurthy K, Smit R, Pasinelli P, Wright MC, Smith GM, Lepore AC. AAV2-BDNF promotes respiratory axon plasticity and recovery of diaphragm function following spinal cord injury. FASEB J 2019; 33:13775-13793. [PMID: 31577916 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901730r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
More than half of spinal cord injury (SCI) cases occur in the cervical region, leading to respiratory dysfunction due to damaged neural circuitry that controls critically important muscles such as the diaphragm. The C3-C5 spinal cord is the location of phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs) that are responsible for diaphragm activation; PhMNs receive bulbospinal excitatory drive predominately from supraspinal neurons of the rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG). Cervical SCI results in rVRG axon damage, PhMN denervation, and consequent partial-to-complete paralysis of hemidiaphragm. In a rat model of C2 hemisection SCI, we expressed the axon guidance molecule, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), selectively at the location of PhMNs (ipsilateral to lesion) to promote directed growth of rVRG axons toward PhMN targets by performing intraspinal injections of adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2)-BDNF vector. AAV2-BDNF promoted significant functional diaphragm recovery, as assessed by in vivo electromyography. Within the PhMN pool ipsilateral to injury, AAV2-BDNF robustly increased sprouting of both spared contralateral-originating rVRG axons and serotonergic fibers. Furthermore, AAV2-BDNF significantly increased numbers of putative monosynaptic connections between PhMNs and these sprouting rVRG and serotonergic axons. These findings show that targeting circuit plasticity mechanisms involving the enhancement of synaptic inputs from spared axon populations is a powerful strategy for restoring respiratory function post-SCI.-Charsar, B. A., Brinton, M. A., Locke, K., Chen, A. Y., Ghosh, B., Urban, M. W., Komaravolu, S., Krishnamurthy, K., Smit, R., Pasinelli, P., Wright, M. C., Smith, G. M., Lepore, A. C. AAV2-BDNF promotes respiratory axon plasticity and recovery of diaphragm function following spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Charsar
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael A Brinton
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Katherine Locke
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anna Y Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sreeya Komaravolu
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Karthik Krishnamurthy
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Weinberg Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rupert Smit
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Weinberg Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - George M Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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24
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Long-Distance Axon Regeneration Promotes Recovery of Diaphragmatic Respiratory Function after Spinal Cord Injury. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0096-19.2019. [PMID: 31427403 PMCID: PMC6794082 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0096-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Compromise in inspiratory breathing following cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) is caused by damage to descending bulbospinal axons originating in the rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) and consequent denervation and silencing of phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs) that directly control diaphragm activation. In a rat model of high-cervical hemisection SCI, we performed systemic administration of an antagonist peptide directed against phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a central inhibitor of neuron-intrinsic axon growth potential. PTEN antagonist peptide (PAP4) robustly restored diaphragm function, as determined with electromyography (EMG) recordings in living SCI animals. PAP4 promoted substantial, long-distance regeneration of injured rVRG axons through the lesion and back toward PhMNs located throughout the C3–C5 spinal cord. These regrowing rVRG axons also formed putative excitatory synaptic connections with PhMNs, demonstrating reconnection of rVRG-PhMN-diaphragm circuitry. Lastly, re-lesion through the hemisection site completely ablated functional recovery induced by PAP4. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that axon regeneration in response to systemic PAP4 administration promoted recovery of diaphragmatic respiratory function after cervical SCI.
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25
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Trawczynski M, Liu G, David BT, Fessler RG. Restoring Motor Neurons in Spinal Cord Injury With Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:369. [PMID: 31474833 PMCID: PMC6707336 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological disorder that damages motor, sensory, and autonomic pathways. Recent advances in stem cell therapy have allowed for the in vitro generation of motor neurons (MNs) showing electrophysiological and synaptic activity, expression of canonical MN biomarkers, and the ability to graft into spinal lesions. Clinical translation, especially the transplantation of MN precursors in spinal lesions, has thus far been elusive because of stem cell heterogeneity and protocol variability, as well as a hostile microenvironment such as inflammation and scarring, which yield inconsistent pre-clinical results without a consensus best-practice therapeutic strategy. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in particular have lower ethical and immunogenic concerns than other stem cells, which could make them more clinically applicable. In this review, we focus on the differentiation of iPSCs into neural precursors, MN progenitors, mature MNs, and MN subtype fates. Previous reviews have summarized MN development and differentiation, but an up-to-date summary of technological and experimental advances holding promise for bench-to-bedside translation, especially those targeting individual MN subtypes in SCI, is currently lacking. We discuss biological mechanisms of MN lineage, recent experimental protocols and techniques for MN differentiation from iPSCs, and transplantation of neural precursors and MN lineage cells in spinal cord lesions to restore motor function. We emphasize efficient, clinically safe, and personalized strategies for the application of MN and their subtypes as therapy in spinal lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Trawczynski
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Gele Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Brian T David
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Richard G Fessler
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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26
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Ghosh B, Nong J, Wang Z, Urban MW, Heinsinger NM, Trovillion VA, Wright MC, Lepore AC, Zhong Y. A hydrogel engineered to deliver minocycline locally to the injured cervical spinal cord protects respiratory neural circuitry and preserves diaphragm function. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 127:591-604. [PMID: 31028873 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested a biomaterial-based approach to preserve the critical phrenic motor circuitry that controls diaphragm function by locally delivering minocycline hydrochloride (MH) following cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). MH is a clinically-available antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drug that targets a broad range of secondary injury mechanisms via its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. However, MH is only neuroprotective at high concentrations that cannot be achieved by systemic administration, which limits its clinical efficacy. We have developed a hydrogel-based MH delivery system that can be injected into the intrathecal space for local delivery of high concentrations of MH, without damaging spinal cord tissue. Implantation of MH hydrogel after unilateral level-C4/5 contusion SCI robustly preserved diaphragm function, as assessed by in vivo recordings of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and electromyography (EMG) amplitudes. MH hydrogel also decreased lesion size and degeneration of cervical motor neuron somata, demonstrating its central neuroprotective effects within the injured cervical spinal cord. Furthermore, MH hydrogel significantly preserved diaphragm innervation by the axons of phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs), as assessed by both detailed neuromuscular junction (NMJ) morphological analysis and retrograde PhMN labeling from the diaphragm using cholera toxin B (CTB). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that local MH hydrogel delivery to the injured cervical spinal cord is effective in preserving respiratory function after SCI by protecting the important neural circuitry that controls diaphragm activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th St., Bluemle Life Sciences Building - Room 245, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Jia Nong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Bossone 7-716, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Zhicheng Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Bossone 7-716, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th St., Bluemle Life Sciences Building - Room 245, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Nicolette M Heinsinger
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th St., Bluemle Life Sciences Building - Room 245, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Victoria A Trovillion
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th St., Bluemle Life Sciences Building - Room 245, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, 450 S Easton Rd, 220 Boyer Hall, Glenside, PA 19038, United States of America
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th St., Bluemle Life Sciences Building - Room 245, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States of America.
| | - Yinghui Zhong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Bossone 7-716, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America.
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27
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Ramotowski C, Qu X, Villa-Diaz LG. Progress in the Use of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Cells for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries in Animal Populations: Meta-Analysis and Review. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019; 8:681-693. [PMID: 30903654 PMCID: PMC6591555 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.18-0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are cells genetically reprogrammed from somatic cells, which can be differentiated into neurological lineages with the aim to replace or assist damaged neurons in the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCIs) caused by physical trauma. Here, we review studies addressing the functional use of iPSC‐derived neural cells in SCIs and perform a meta‐analysis to determine if significant motor improvement is restored after treatment with iPSC‐derived neural cells compared with treatments using embryonic stem cell (ESC)‐derived counterpart cells and control treatments. Overall, based on locomotion scales in rodents and monkeys, our meta‐analysis indicates a therapeutic benefit for SCI treatment using neural cells derived from either iPSCs or ESCs, being this of importance due to existing ethical and immunological complications using ESCs. Results from these studies are evidence of the successes and limitations of iPSC‐derived neural cells in the recovery of motor capacity. stem cells translational medicine2019;8:681&693
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xianggui Qu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Oakland University College of Arts and Sciences, Rochester, Michigan, USA
| | - Luis G Villa-Diaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University College of Arts and Sciences, Rochester, Michigan, USA
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28
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Little D, Ketteler R, Gissen P, Devine MJ. Using stem cell-derived neurons in drug screening for neurological diseases. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 78:130-141. [PMID: 30925301 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives have become an important tool for researching disease mechanisms. It is hoped that they could be used to discover new therapies by providing the most reliable and relevant human in vitro disease models for drug discovery. This review will summarize recent efforts to use stem cell-derived neurons for drug screening. We also explain the current hurdles to using these cells for high-throughput pharmaceutical screening and developments that may help overcome these hurdles. Finally, we critically discuss whether induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons will come to fruition as a model that is regularly used to screen for drugs to treat neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Little
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Robin Ketteler
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Gissen
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michael J Devine
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK; Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
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29
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Crane AT, Voth JP, Shen FX, Low WC. Concise Review: Human-Animal Neurological Chimeras: Humanized Animals or Human Cells in an Animal? Stem Cells 2019; 37:444-452. [PMID: 30629789 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Blastocyst complementation is an emerging methodology in which human stem cells are transferred into genetically engineered preimplantation animal embryos eventually giving rise to fully developed human tissues and organs within the animal host for use in regenerative medicine. The ethical issues surrounding this method have caused the National Institutes of Health to issue a moratorium on funding for blastocyst complementation citing the potential for human cells to substantially contribute to the brain of the chimeric animal. To address this concern, we performed an in-depth review of the neural transplantation literature to determine how the integration of human cells into the nonhuman neural circuitry has altered the behavior of the host. Despite reports of widespread integration of human cell transplants, our review of 150 transplantation studies found no evidence suggestive of humanization of the animal host, and we thus conclude that, at present, concerns over humanization should not prevent research on blastocyst complementation to continue. We suggest proceeding in a controlled and transparent manner, however, and include recommendations for future research with careful consideration for how human cells may contribute to the animal host nervous system. Stem Cells 2019;37:444-452.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Crane
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Minnesota Craniofacial Research Training Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Joseph P Voth
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Francis X Shen
- University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Walter C Low
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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30
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Abstract
Cellular transplantation for repair of the injured spinal cord has a rich history with strategies focused on neuroprotection, immunomodulation, and neural reconstruction. The goal of the present review is to provide a concise overview and discussion of five key themes that have become important considerations for rebuilding functional neural networks. The questions raised include: (i) who are the donor cells selected for transplantation, (ii) what is the intended target for repair, (iii) when is the optimal time for transplantation, (iv) where should the cells be delivered, and lastly (v) why does cell transplantation remain an attractive candidate for promoting neural repair after injury? Recent developments in neurobiology and engineering now enable us to start addressing these questions with multidisciplinary expertise and methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyandysha V Zholudeva
- 1 Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,2 The Spinal Cord Research Center, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael A Lane
- 1 Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,2 The Spinal Cord Research Center, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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31
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Goulão M, Ghosh B, Urban MW, Sahu M, Mercogliano C, Charsar BA, Komaravolu S, Block CG, Smith GM, Wright MC, Lepore AC. Astrocyte progenitor transplantation promotes regeneration of bulbospinal respiratory axons, recovery of diaphragm function, and a reduced macrophage response following cervical spinal cord injury. Glia 2018; 67:452-466. [PMID: 30548313 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stem/progenitor cell transplantation delivery of astrocytes is a potentially powerful strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI). Axon extension into SCI lesions that occur spontaneously or in response to experimental manipulations is often observed along endogenous astrocyte "bridges," suggesting that augmenting this response via astrocyte lineage transplantation can enhance axon regrowth. Given the importance of respiratory dysfunction post-SCI, we transplanted glial-restricted precursors (GRPs)-a class of lineage-restricted astrocyte progenitors-into the C2 hemisection model and evaluated effects on diaphragm function and the growth response of descending rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) axons that innervate phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs). GRPs survived long term and efficiently differentiated into astrocytes in injured spinal cord. GRPs promoted significant recovery of diaphragm electromyography amplitudes and stimulated robust regeneration of injured rVRG axons. Although rVRG fibers extended across the lesion, no regrowing axons re-entered caudal spinal cord to reinnervate PhMNs, suggesting that this regeneration response-although impressive-was not responsible for recovery. Within ipsilateral C3-5 ventral horn (PhMN location), GRPs induced substantial sprouting of spared fibers originating in contralateral rVRG and 5-HT axons that are important for regulating PhMN excitability; this sprouting was likely involved in functional effects of GRPs. Finally, GRPs reduced the macrophage response (which plays a key role in inducing axon retraction and limiting regrowth) both within the hemisection and at intact caudal spinal cord surrounding PhMNs. These findings demonstrate that astrocyte progenitor transplantation promotes significant plasticity of rVRG-PhMN circuitry and restoration of diaphragm function and suggest that these effects may be in part through immunomodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Goulão
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laborator, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Malya Sahu
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Christina Mercogliano
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brittany A Charsar
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sreeya Komaravolu
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Cole G Block
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - George M Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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32
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DeBrot A, Yao L. The combination of induced pluripotent stem cells and bioscaffolds holds promise for spinal cord regeneration. Neural Regen Res 2018; 13:1677-1684. [PMID: 30136677 PMCID: PMC6128052 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.238602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are debilitating conditions for which no effective treatment currently exists. The damage of neural tissue causes disruption of neural tracts and neuron loss in the spinal cord. Stem cell replacement offers a solution for SCI treatment by providing a source of therapeutic cells for neural function restoration. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been investigated as a potential type of stem cell for such therapies. Transplantation of iPSCs has been shown to be effective in restoring function after SCIs in animal models while they circumvent ethical and immunological concerns produced by other stem cell types. Another approach for the treatment of SCI involves the graft of a bioscaffold at the site of injury to create a microenvironment that enhances cellular viability and guides the growing axons. Studies suggest that a combination of these two treatment methods could have a synergistic effect on functional recovery post-neural injury. While much progress has been made, more research is needed before clinical trials are possible. This review highlights recent advancements using iPSCs and bioscaffolds for treatment of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley DeBrot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, USA
| | - Li Yao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, USA
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33
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Structural and functional identification of two distinct inspiratory neuronal populations at the level of the phrenic nucleus in the rat cervical spinal cord. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 224:57-72. [PMID: 30251026 PMCID: PMC6373374 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1757-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The diaphragm is driven by phrenic motoneurons that are located in the cervical spinal cord. Although the anatomical location of the phrenic nucleus and the function of phrenic motoneurons at a single cellular level have been extensively analyzed, the spatiotemporal dynamics of phrenic motoneuron group activity have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we analyzed the functional and structural characteristics of respiratory neuron population in the cervical spinal cord at the level of the phrenic nucleus by voltage imaging, together with histological analysis of neuronal and astrocytic distribution in the cervical spinal cord. We found spatially distinct two cellular populations that exhibited synchronized inspiratory activity on the transversely cut plane at C4–C5 levels and on the ventral surface of the mid cervical spinal cord in the isolated brainstem–spinal cord preparation of the neonatal rat. Inspiratory activity of one group emerged in the central portion of the ventral horn that corresponded to the central motor column, and the other appeared in the medial portion of the ventral horn that corresponded to the medial motor column. We identified by retrogradely labeling study that the anatomical distributions of phrenic and scalene motoneurons coincided with optically detected central and medial motor regions, respectively. Furthermore, we anatomically demonstrated closely located features of putative motoneurons, interneurons and astrocytes in these regions. Collectively, we report that phrenic and scalene motoneuron populations show synchronized inspiratory activities with distinct anatomical locations in the mid cervical spinal cord.
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34
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Ueda Y, Shimizu Y, Shimizu N, Ishitani T, Ohshima T. Involvement of sonic hedgehog and notch signaling in regenerative neurogenesis in adult zebrafish optic tectum after stab injury. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2360-2372. [PMID: 30014463 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Unlike humans and other mammals, adult zebrafish have the superior capability to recover from central nervous system (CNS) injury. We previously found that proliferation of radial glia (RG) is induced in response to stab injury in optic tectum and that new neurons are generated from RG after stab injury. However, molecular mechanisms which regulate proliferation and differentiation of RG are not well known. In the present study, we investigated Shh and Notch signaling as potential mechanisms regulating regeneration in the optic tectum of adult zebrafish. We used Shh reporter fish and confirmed that canonical Shh signaling is activated specifically in RG after stab injury. Moreover, we have shown that Shh signaling promotes RG proliferation and suppresses their differentiation into neurons after stab injury. In contrast, Notch signaling was down-regulated after stab injury, indicated by the decrease in the expression level of her4 and her6, a target gene of Notch signaling. We also found that inhibition of Notch signaling after stab injury induced more proliferative RG, but that inhibition of Notch signaling inhibited generation of newborn neurons from RG after stab injury. These results suggest that high level of Notch signaling keeps RG quiescent and that appropriate level of Notch signaling is required for generation of newborn neurons from RG. Under physiological condition, activation of Shh signaling or inhibition of Notch signaling also induced RG proliferation. In adult optic tectum of zebrafish, canonical Shh signaling and Notch signaling play important roles in proliferation and differentiation of RG in physiological and regenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuto Ueda
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bio-Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Shimizu
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bio-Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Shimizu
- Division of Cell Regulation Systems, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tohru Ishitani
- Division of Cell Regulation Systems, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Lab of Integrated Signaling Systems, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute for Molecular & Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Toshio Ohshima
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bio-Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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35
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Zheng W, Li Q, Zhao C, Da Y, Zhang HL, Chen Z. Differentiation of Glial Cells From hiPSCs: Potential Applications in Neurological Diseases and Cell Replacement Therapy. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:239. [PMID: 30140204 PMCID: PMC6094089 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial cells are the most abundant cell type in the central nervous system (CNS) and play essential roles in maintaining brain homeostasis, forming myelin, and providing support and protection for neurons, etc. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in the reprogramming field. Given the limited accessibility of human glial cells, in vitro differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into glia may provide not only a valuable research tool for a better understanding of the functions of glia in the CNS but also a potential cellular source for clinical therapeutic purposes. In this review, we will summarize up-to-date novel strategies for the committed differentiation into the three major glial cell types, i.e., astrocyte, oligodendrocyte, and microglia, from hiPSCs, focusing on the non-neuronal cell effects on the pathology of some representative neurological diseases. Furthermore, the application of hiPSC-derived glial cells in neurological disease modeling will be discussed, so as to gain further insights into the development of new therapeutic targets for treatment of neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- Cell Therapy Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Li
- Cell Therapy Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Zhao
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yuwei Da
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Liang Zhang
- Department of Life Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiguo Chen
- Cell Therapy Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.,Center of Neural Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
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36
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Falnikar A, Stratton J, Lin R, Andrews CE, Tyburski A, Trovillion VA, Gottschalk C, Ghosh B, Iacovitti L, Elliott MB, Lepore AC. Differential Response in Novel Stem Cell Niches of the Brain after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2018; 35:2195-2207. [PMID: 29471717 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2017.5497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Populations of neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in a number of defined niches in the adult central nervous system (CNS) where they continually give rise to mature cell types throughout life, including newly born neurons. In addition to the prototypical niches of the subventricular zone (SVZ) and subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, novel stem cell niches that are also neurogenic have recently been identified in multiple midline structures, including circumventricular organs (CVOs) of the brain. These resident NSCs serve as a homeostatic source of new neurons and glial cells under intact physiological conditions. Importantly, they may also have the potential for reparative processes in pathological states such as traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). As the response in these novel CVO stem cell niches has been characterized after stroke but not following SCI or TBI, we quantitatively assessed cell proliferation and the neuronal and glial lineage fate of resident NSCs in three CVO nuclei-area postrema (AP), median eminence (ME), and subfornical organ (SFO) -in rat models of cervical contusion-type SCI and controlled cortical impact (CCI)-induced TBI. Using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling of proliferating cells, we find that TBI significantly enhanced proliferation in AP, ME, and SFO, whereas cervical SCI had no effects at early or chronic time-points post-injury. In addition, SCI did not alter NSC differentiation profile into doublecortin-positive neuroblasts, GFAP-expressing astrocytes, or Olig2-labeled cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage within AP, ME, or SFO at both time-points. In contrast, CCI induced a pronounced increase in Sox2- and doublecortin-labeled cells in the AP and Iba1-labeled microglia in the SFO. Lastly, plasma derived from CCI animals significantly increased NSC expansion in an in vitro neurosphere assay, whereas plasma from SCI animals did not exert such an effect, suggesting that signaling factors present in blood may be relevant to stimulating CVO niches after CNS injury and may explain the differential in vivo effects of SCI and TBI on the novel stem cell niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Falnikar
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jarred Stratton
- 2 Department of Neurological Surgery, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ruihe Lin
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Carrie E Andrews
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ashley Tyburski
- 2 Department of Neurological Surgery, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Victoria A Trovillion
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Chelsea Gottschalk
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lorraine Iacovitti
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Melanie B Elliott
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,2 Department of Neurological Surgery, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- 1 Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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37
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Tickle JA, Poptani H, Taylor A, Chari DM. Noninvasive imaging of nanoparticle-labeled transplant populations within polymer matrices for neural cell therapy. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2018; 13:1333-1348. [PMID: 29949467 PMCID: PMC6220152 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2017-0347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To develop a 3D neural cell construct for encapsulated delivery of transplant cells; develop hydrogels seeded with magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-labeled cells suitable for cell tracking by MRI. MATERIALS & METHODS Astrocytes were exogenously labeled with MRI-compatible iron-oxide MNPs prior to intra-construct incorporation within a 3D collagen hydrogel. RESULTS A connective, complex cellular network was clearly observable within the 3D constructs, with high cellular viability. MNP accumulation in astrocytes provided a hypointense MRI signal at 24 h & 14 days. CONCLUSION Our findings support the concept of developing a 3D construct possessing the dual advantages of (i) support of long-term cell survival of neural populations with (ii) the potential for noninvasive MRI-tracking of intra-construct cells for neuroregenerative applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Tickle
- Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Keele, ST5 5BG, UK
| | - Harish Poptani
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Arthur Taylor
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Divya M Chari
- Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Keele, ST5 5BG, UK
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Leferink PS, Breeuwsma N, Bugiani M, van der Knaap MS, Heine VM. Affected astrocytes in the spinal cord of the leukodystrophy vanishing white matter. Glia 2018; 66:862-873. [PMID: 29285798 PMCID: PMC5838785 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Leukodystrophies are often devastating diseases, presented with progressive clinical signs as spasticity, ataxia and cognitive decline, and lack proper treatment options. New therapy strategies for leukodystrophies mostly focus on oligodendrocyte replacement to rescue lack of myelin in the brain, even though disease pathology also often involves other glial cells and the spinal cord. In this study we investigated spinal cord pathology in a mouse model for Vanishing White Matter disease (VWM) and show that astrocytes in the white matter are severely affected. Astrocyte pathology starts postnatally in the sensory tracts, followed by changes in the astrocytic populations in the motor tracts. Studies in post-mortem tissue of two VWM patients, a 13-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl, confirmed astrocyte abnormalities in the spinal cord. For proper development of new treatment options for VWM and, possibly, other leukodystrophies, future studies should investigate spinal cord involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prisca S. Leferink
- Department of Pediatrics/Child NeurologyAmsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Nicole Breeuwsma
- Department of Pediatrics/Child NeurologyAmsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marianna Bugiani
- Department of PathologyVU University Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marjo S. van der Knaap
- Department of Pediatrics/Child NeurologyAmsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Functional GenomicsCenter for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Vivi M. Heine
- Department of Pediatrics/Child NeurologyAmsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Complex Trait GeneticsCenter for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU Universiteit AmsterdamThe Netherlands
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Nagoshi N, Okano H. iPSC-derived neural precursor cells: potential for cell transplantation therapy in spinal cord injury. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:989-1000. [PMID: 28993834 PMCID: PMC11105708 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2676-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2016] [Revised: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A number of studies have demonstrated that transplantation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the NPCs had been mostly harvested from embryonic stem cells or fetal tissue, raising the ethical concern. Yamanaka and his colleagues established induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) which could be generated from somatic cells, and this innovative development has made rapid progression in the field of SCI regeneration. We and other groups succeeded in producing NPCs from iPSCs, and demonstrated beneficial effects after transplantation for animal models of SCI. In particular, efficacy of human iPSC-NPCs in non-human primate SCI models fostered momentum of clinical application for SCI patients. At the same time, however, artificial induction methods in iPSC technology created alternative issues including genetic and epigenetic abnormalities, and tumorigenicity after transplantation. To overcome these problems, it is critically important to select origins of somatic cells, use integration-free system during transfection of reprogramming factors, and thoroughly investigate the characteristics of iPSC-NPCs with respect to quality management. Moreover, since most of the previous studies have focused on subacute phase of SCI, establishment of effective NPC transplantation should be evaluated for chronic phase hereafter. Our group is currently preparing clinical-grade human iPSC-NPCs, and will move forward toward clinical study for subacute SCI patients soon in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narihito Nagoshi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjukuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
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40
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Effect of prolonged differentiation on functional maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal cultures. Stem Cell Res 2018; 27:151-161. [PMID: 29414606 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2018.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term neural differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is associated with enhanced neuronal maturation, which is a necessity for creation of representative in vitro models. It also induces neurogenic-to-gliogenic fate switch, increasing proportion of endogenous astrocytes formed from the common neural progenitors. However, the significance of prolonged differentiation on the neural cell type composition and functional development of hPSC-derived neuronal cells has not been well characterized. Here, we studied two hPSC lines, both of which initially showed good neuronal differentiation capacity. However, the propensity for endogenous astrogenesis and maturation state after extended differentiation varied. Live cell calcium imaging revealed that prolonged differentiation facilitated maturation of GABAergic signaling. According to extracellular recordings with microelectrode array (MEA), neuronal activity was limited to fewer areas of the culture, which expressed more frequent burst activity. Efficient maturation after prolonged differentiation also promoted organization of spontaneous activity by burst compaction. These results suggest that although prolonged neural differentiation can be challenging, it has beneficial effect on functional maturation, which can also improve transition to different neural in vitro models and applications.
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41
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Neural Stem Cells Derived from Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Their Use in Models of CNS Injury. Results Probl Cell Differ 2018; 66:89-102. [PMID: 30209655 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-93485-3_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are derived from differentiated cells by different reprogramming techniques, by introducing specific transcription factors responsible for pluripotency. Induced pluripotent stem cells can serve as an excellent source for differentiated neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPs). Several methods and protocols are utilized to create a robust number of NSCs/NPs without jeopardizing the safety issues required for in vivo applications. A variety of disease-specific iPS cells have been used to study nervous system diseases. In this chapter, we will focus on some of the derivation and differentiation approaches and the application of iPS-NPs in the treatment of spinal cord injury and stroke.
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42
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Krencik R, Seo K, van Asperen JV, Basu N, Cvetkovic C, Barlas S, Chen R, Ludwig C, Wang C, Ward ME, Gan L, Horner PJ, Rowitch DH, Ullian EM. Systematic Three-Dimensional Coculture Rapidly Recapitulates Interactions between Human Neurons and Astrocytes. Stem Cell Reports 2017; 9:1745-1753. [PMID: 29198827 PMCID: PMC5785708 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human astrocytes network with neurons in dynamic ways that are still poorly defined. Our ability to model this relationship is hampered by the lack of relevant and convenient tools to recapitulate this complex interaction. To address this barrier, we have devised efficient coculture systems utilizing 3D organoid-like spheres, termed asteroids, containing pre-differentiated human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived astrocytes (hAstros) combined with neurons generated from hPSC-derived neural stem cells (hNeurons) or directly induced via Neurogenin 2 overexpression (iNeurons). Our systematic methods rapidly produce structurally complex hAstros and synapses in high-density coculture with iNeurons in precise numbers, allowing for improved studies of neural circuit function, disease modeling, and drug screening. We conclude that these bioengineered neural circuit model systems are reliable and scalable tools to accurately study aspects of human astrocyte-neuron functional properties while being easily accessible for cell-type-specific manipulations and observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Krencik
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - Kyounghee Seo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jessy V van Asperen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nupur Basu
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Caroline Cvetkovic
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Saba Barlas
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Robert Chen
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Connor Ludwig
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Chao Wang
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Michael E Ward
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Li Gan
- Gladstone Institutes of Neurological Disease, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Philip J Horner
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David H Rowitch
- Department of Pediatrics, Eli and Edythe Broad Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Erik M Ullian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Feitosa MLT, Sarmento CAP, Bocabello RZ, Beltrão-Braga PCB, Pignatari GC, Giglio RF, Miglino MA, Orlandin JR, Ambrósio CE. Transplantation of human immature dental pulp stem cell in dogs with chronic spinal cord injury. Acta Cir Bras 2017; 32:540-549. [PMID: 28793038 DOI: 10.1590/s0102-865020170070000005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the therapeutic potential of human immature dental pulp stem cells in the treatment of chronic spinal cord injury in dogs. Methods: Three dogs of different breeds with chronic SCI were presented as animal clinical cases. Human immature dental pulp stem cells were injected at three points into the spinal cord, and the animals were evaluated by limb function and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pre and post-operative. Results: There was significant improvement from the limb function evaluated by Olby Scale, though it was not supported by the imaging data provided by MRI and clinical sign and evaluation. Conclusion: Human dental pulp stem cell therapy presents promising clinical results in dogs with chronic spinal cord injuries, if used in association with physical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Levi Tajra Feitosa
- Fellow PhD degree, Postgraduate Program in Anatomy in Domestic and Wild Animals, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil. Intellectual and scientific content of the study; conception and design of the study; acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, manuscript preparation
| | - Carlos Alberto Palmeira Sarmento
- Fellow PhD degree, Postgraduate Program in Anatomy in Domestic and Wild Animals, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil. Intellectual and scientific content of the study; conception and design of the study; acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, manuscript preparation
| | - Renato Zonzini Bocabello
- Fellow Master degree, Postgraduate Program in Anatomy in Domestic and Wild Animals, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, USP, Sao Paulo-SP, Brazil. Intellectual and scientific content of the study; conception and design of the study; acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data; manuscript preparation
| | - Patrícia Cristina Baleeiro Beltrão-Braga
- Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Stem Cell Laboratory, USP, Sao Paulo-SP, Brazil. Intellectual and scientific content of the study, acquisition of human stem cells, analysis and interpretation of data, manuscript writing
| | - Graciela Conceição Pignatari
- PosDoc Fellow, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, USP, Sao Paulo-SP, Brazil. Intellectual and scientific content of the study, acquisition of human stem cells, analysis and interpretation of data, manuscript writing
| | - Robson Fortes Giglio
- Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Intellectual and scientific content of the study; conception and design of the study; acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data; manuscript preparation and writing
| | - Maria Angelica Miglino
- Researcher, CNPq Grant Level 1A - CA VT, Professor, Chairwoman, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, USP, Pirassunung-SP, Brazil. Conception and design of the study, manuscript writing, critical revision, final approval
| | - Jéssica Rodrigues Orlandin
- Fellow Master degree, Postgraduate Program in Animal Bioscience, Laboratory of Stem Cell and Gene Therapy, Veterinary Medicine Department, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, USP, Pirassununga-SP, Brazil. Manuscript preparation
| | - Carlos Eduardo Ambrósio
- Researcher, CNPq Grant Level 1A - CA VT, Associate Professor III, Head, Department Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Stem Cell and Gene Therapy, Veterinary Medicine Department, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, USP, Pirassununga-SP, Brazil. Conception and design of the study, manuscript writing, critical revision, final approval
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44
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Nagoshi N, Okano H. Applications of induced pluripotent stem cell technologies in spinal cord injury. J Neurochem 2017; 141:848-860. [PMID: 28199003 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Numerous basic research studies have suggested the potential efficacy of neural precursor cell (NPC) transplantation in spinal cord injury (SCI). However, in most such studies, the origin of the cells used was mainly fetal tissue or embryonic stem cells, both of which carry potential ethical concerns with respect to clinical use. The development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) opened a new path toward regenerative medicine for SCI. iPSCs can be generated from somatic cells by induction of transcription factors, and induced to differentiate into NPCs with characteristics of cells of the central nervous system. The beneficial effect of iPSC-derived NPC transplantation has been reported from our group and others working in rodent and non-human primate models. These promising results facilitate the application of iPSCs for clinical applications in SCI patients. However, iPSCs also have issues, such as genetic/epigenetic abnormalities and tumorigenesis because of the artificial induction method, that must be addressed prior to clinical use. The selection of somatic cells, generation of integration-free iPSCs, and characterization of differentiated NPCs with thorough quality management are all needed to address these potential risks. To enhance the efficacy of the transplanted iPSC-NPCs, especially at chronic phase of SCI, administration of a chondroitinase or semaphorin3A inhibitor represents a potentially important means of promoting axonal regeneration through the lesion site. The combined use of rehabilitation with such cell therapy approaches is also important, as repetitive training enhances neurite outgrowth of transplanted cells and strengthens neural circuits at central pattern generators. Our group has already evaluated clinical grade iPSC-derived NPCs, and we look forward to initiating clinical testing as the next step toward determining whether this approach is safe and effective for clinical use. This article is part of the mini review series "60th Anniversary of the Japanese Society for Neurochemistry".
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Affiliation(s)
- Narihito Nagoshi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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45
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Sandhu MS, Ross HH, Lee KZ, Ormerod BK, Reier PJ, Fuller DD. Intraspinal transplantation of subventricular zone-derived neural progenitor cells improves phrenic motor output after high cervical spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2017; 287:205-215. [PMID: 27302679 PMCID: PMC6154390 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Following spinal cord injury (SCI), intraspinal transplantation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) harvested from the forebrain sub-ventricular zone (SVZ) can improve locomotor outcomes. Cervical SCI often results in respiratory-related impairments, and here we used an established model cervical SCI (C2 hemisection, C2Hx) to confirm the feasibility of mid-cervical transplantation of SVZ-derived NPCs and the hypothesis that that this procedure would improve spontaneous respiratory motor recovery. NPCs were isolated from the SVZ of enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing neonatal rats, and then intraspinally delivered immediately caudal to an acute C2Hx lesion in adult non-GFP rats. Whole body plethysmography conducted at 4 and 8wks post-transplant demonstrated increased inspiratory tidal volume in SVZ vs. sham transplants during hypoxic (P=0.003) or hypercapnic respiratory challenge (P=0.019). Phrenic nerve output was assessed at 8wks post-transplant; burst amplitude recorded ipsilateral to C2Hx was greater in SVZ vs. sham rats across a wide range of conditions (e.g., quiet breathing through maximal chemoreceptor stimulation; P<0.001). Stereological analyses at 8wks post-injury indicated survival of ~50% of transplanted NPCs with ~90% of cells distributed in ipsilateral white matter at or near the injection site. Peak inspiratory phrenic bursting after NPC transplant was positively correlated with the total number of surviving cells (P<0.001). Immunohistochemistry confirmed an astrocytic phenotype in a subset of the transplanted cells with no evidence for neuronal differentiation. We conclude that intraspinal transplantation of SVZ-derived NPCs can improve respiratory recovery following high cervical SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Sandhu
- University of Florida, Department of Physical Therapy, P.O. Box 100154, Gainesville, FL 32610-0154, United States
| | - H H Ross
- University of Florida, Department of Physical Therapy, P.O. Box 100154, Gainesville, FL 32610-0154, United States
| | - K Z Lee
- University of Florida, Department of Physical Therapy, P.O. Box 100154, Gainesville, FL 32610-0154, United States
| | - B K Ormerod
- University of Florida, Department of Biomedical Engineering, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, FL 32611-6131, United States
| | - P J Reier
- University of Florida, Department of Neuroscience, P.O. Box 100244, Gainesville, FL 32610-0244, United States
| | - D D Fuller
- University of Florida, Department of Physical Therapy, P.O. Box 100154, Gainesville, FL 32610-0154, United States.
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47
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Lane MA, Lepore AC, Fischer I. Improving the therapeutic efficacy of neural progenitor cell transplantation following spinal cord injury. Expert Rev Neurother 2016; 17:433-440. [PMID: 27927055 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2017.1270206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There have been a wide range of preclinical studies testing cellular therapies to repair the injured spinal cord, yet they remain a challenge to translate because of inconsistencies in efficacy, limited number of patients with acute/subacute SCI and the high costs of clinical trials. Area covered: This paper focusses on the therapeutic potential of neural precursor cells (NPCs) because they can provide the cellular components capable of promoting repair and enhancing functional improvement following spinal cord injury (SCI). The authors discuss the challenges of NPC transplantation with respect to different populations of NPCs of glial and neuronal lineages, the timing of treatment relative to acute and chronic injury, and the progress in ongoing clinical trials. Expert commentary: Preclinical research will continue to elucidate mechanisms of recovery associated with NPC transplants, including increasing the partnership with related fields such as spinal atrophies and multiple sclerosis. The clinical trials landscape will grow and include both acute and chronic SCI with increased partnership and strengthened communication between biotechnology, government and academia. There will also be growing effort to develop better biomarkers, imaging and outcome measures for detailed assessment of neurological function and measures of quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Lane
- a Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Spinal Cord Research Center , Drexel University , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- b Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience , Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | - Itzhak Fischer
- a Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Spinal Cord Research Center , Drexel University , Philadelphia , PA , USA
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48
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Lai BQ, Che MT, Du BL, Zeng X, Ma YH, Feng B, Qiu XC, Zhang K, Liu S, Shen HY, Wu JL, Ling EA, Zeng YS. Transplantation of tissue engineering neural network and formation of neuronal relay into the transected rat spinal cord. Biomaterials 2016; 109:40-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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49
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Krencik R, van Asperen JV, Ullian EM. Human astrocytes are distinct contributors to the complexity of synaptic function. Brain Res Bull 2016; 129:66-73. [PMID: 27570101 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Cellular components of synaptic circuits have been adjusted for increased human brain size, neural cell density, energy consumption and developmental duration. How does the human brain make these accommodations? There is evidence that astrocytes are one of the most divergent neural cell types in primate brain evolution and it is now becoming clear that they have critical roles in controlling synaptic development, function and plasticity. Yet, we still do not know how the precise developmental appearance of these cells and subsequent astrocyte-derived signals modulate diverse neuronal circuit subtypes. Here, we discuss what is currently known about the influence of glial factors on synaptic maturation and focus on unique features of human astrocytes including their potential roles in regenerative and translational medicine. Human astrocyte distinctiveness may be a major contributor to high level neuronal processing of the human brain and act in novel ways during various neuropathies ranging from autism spectrum disorders, viral infection, injury and neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Krencik
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Neuroscience Program, University of California San Francisco, United States.
| | - Jessy V van Asperen
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Neuroscience Program, University of California San Francisco, United States
| | - Erik M Ullian
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Neuroscience Program, University of California San Francisco, United States
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50
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Charsar BA, Urban MW, Lepore AC. Harnessing the power of cell transplantation to target respiratory dysfunction following spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2016; 287:268-275. [PMID: 27531634 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic benefit of cell transplantation has been assessed in a host of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including disorders of the spinal cord such as traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The promise of cell transplantation to preserve and/or restore normal function can be aimed at a variety of therapeutic mechanisms, including replacement of lost or damaged CNS cell types, promotion of axonal regeneration or sprouting, neuroprotection, immune response modulation, and delivery of gene products such as neurotrophic factors, amongst other possibilities. Despite significant work in the field of transplantation in models of SCI, limited attention has been directed at harnessing the therapeutic potential of cell grafting for preserving respiratory function after SCI, despite the critical role pulmonary compromise plays in patient outcome in this devastating disease. Here, we will review the limited number of studies that have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of intraspinal transplantation of a variety of cell types for addressing respiratory dysfunction in SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Charsar
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 418, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States
| | - Mark W Urban
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 418, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 900 Walnut Street, JHN 418, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States.
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