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Transplanted multipotential neural precursor cells migrate into the inflamed white matter in response to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Author(s) -
BenHur Tamir,
Einstein Ofira,
MizrachiKol Rachel,
BenMenachem Ofra,
Reinhartz Etti,
Karussis Dimitrios,
Abramsky Oded
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/glia.10159
Subject(s) - biology , transplantation , parenchyma , white matter , pathology , experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis , multiple sclerosis , encephalomyelitis , microglia , myelin , nestin , neural stem cell , immunology , central nervous system , stem cell , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , inflammation , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology
Transplanted neural precursor cells remyelinate efficiently acutely demyelinated focal lesions. However, the clinical value of cell transplantation in a chronic, multifocal disease like multiple sclerosis will depend on the ability of transplanted cells to migrate to the multiple disease foci in the brain. Here, we expanded newborn rat neural precursor cells in spheres and transplanted them intracerebroventricularly or intrathecally in rats. The cells were labeled by the nuclear fluorescent dye Hoechst or by incubation with BrdU to enable their identification at 2 days and 2 weeks after transplantation, respectively. Spheres consisted of PSA‐NCAM + , nestin + , NG2 − undifferentiated precursor cells that differentiated in vitro into astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neurons. Spheres that were transplanted into intact rats remained mostly in the ventricles or in the spinal subarachnoid space. Following transplantation at peak of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, cells migrated into the brain or spinal cord parenchyma, exclusively into inflamed white matter but not into adjacent gray matter regions. After 2 weeks, many transplanted cells had migrated into distant white matter tracts and acquired specific markers of the astroglial and oligodendroglial lineages. Thus, the inflammatory process may attract targeted migration of transplanted precursor cells into the brain parenchyma. GLIA 41:73–80, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.