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Chu TH, Midha R. Behavioral and axon histomorphometric analyses after intraneural transplantation of human skin- and nerve-derived Schwann cells in nude rats. Muscle Nerve 2023; 67:177-181. [PMID: 36507578 DOI: 10.1002/mus.27769] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/AIMS We have recently isolated and expanded skin-derived Schwann cells (Sk-SCs) from human skin and showed that they are largely similar to nerve-derived Schwann cells (N-SCs). Here, we extend our investigation into functional assessments of the nude rats that received human Sk-SCs and N-SCs after intraneural delivery into crushed and decellularized tibial nerve in adult nude rats. METHODS Sk-SCs, N-SCs, dermal fibroblasts, or control culture medium was injected into the crushed and decellularized tibial nerve using in situ repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Animals were then subjected to a ladder rung walking test, nociceptive von Frey testing, and walking gait analysis weekly. Animals were euthanized 6 weeks after surgery, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were weighed, distal nerves were harvested, and whole semithin cross-sections were analyzed using segmentation software. RESULTS N-SC-injected and dermal fibroblast-injected animals improved significantly at 4 to 6 weeks postinjury in nociceptive assessment compared with medium-injected controls. Sk-SCs recovered more rapidly in tibial functional index at 2 weeks postinjury compared with medium-injected controls. No significant difference was observed for the ladder rung walking test or muscle weight ratio. Histologically, the number of myelinated axons was significantly higher in all cell injection groups compared with medium-injected controls. No significant difference was observed in g ratio, axon diameter, or myelin thickness. DISCUSSION Cell injection significantly improved axon regeneration across an in situ decellularized nerve segment. However, a more human cell-permissive animal model is required to delineate functional differences between cell types for preclinical transplantation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tak-Ho Chu
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rajiv Midha
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Chu TH, Baral K, Labit E, Rosin N, Sinha S, Umansky D, Alzahrani S, Rancourt D, Biernaskie J, Midha R. Comparison of human skin- and nerve-derived Schwann cells reveals many similarities and subtle genomic and functional differences. Glia 2022; 70:2131-2156. [PMID: 35796321 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24242] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Skin is an easily accessible tissue and a rich source of Schwann cells (SCs). Toward potential clinical application of autologous SC therapies, we aim to improve the reliability and specificity of our protocol to obtain SCs from small skin samples. As well, to explore potential functional distinctions between skin-derived SCs (Sk-SCs) and nerve-derived SCs (N-SCs), we used single-cell RNA-sequencing and a series of in vitro and in vivo assays. Our results showed that Sk-SCs expressed typical SC markers. Single-cell sequencing of Sk- and N-SCs revealed an overwhelming overlap in gene expression with the exception of HLA genes which were preferentially up-regulated in Sk-SCs. In vitro, both cell types exhibited similar levels of proliferation, migration, uptake of myelin debris and readily associated with neurites when co-cultured with human iPSC-induced motor neurons. Both exhibited ensheathment of multiple neurites and early phase of myelination, especially in N-SCs. Interestingly, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurite outgrowth assay showed substantially more complexed neurite outgrowth in DRGs exposed to Sk-SC conditioned media compared to those from N-SCs. Multiplex ELISA array revealed shared growth factor profiles, but Sk-SCs expressed a higher level of VEGF. Transplantation of Sk- and N-SCs into injured peripheral nerve in nude rats and NOD-SCID mice showed close association of both SCs to regenerating axons. Myelination of rodent axons was observed infrequently by N-SCs, but absent in Sk-SC xenografts. Overall, our results showed that Sk-SCs share near-identical properties to N-SCs but with subtle differences that could potentially enhance their therapeutic utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tak-Ho Chu
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kabita Baral
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elodie Labit
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole Rosin
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sarthak Sinha
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Daniel Umansky
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Saud Alzahrani
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Derrick Rancourt
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jeff Biernaskie
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rajiv Midha
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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