Premium
Fibrin matrix provides a suitable scaffold for bone marrow stromal cells transplanted into injured spinal cord: A novel material for CNS tissue engineering
Author(s) -
Itosaka Hiroyuki,
Kuroda Satoshi,
Shichinohe Hideo,
Yasuda Hiroshi,
Yano Shunsuke,
Kamei Shintaro,
Kawamura Ryoichi,
Hida Kazutoshi,
Iwasaki Yoshinobu
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
neuropathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1440-1789
pISSN - 0919-6544
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2008.00971.x
Subject(s) - fibrin , transplantation , matrix (chemical analysis) , stromal cell , spinal cord , pathology , scaffold , bone marrow , medicine , chemistry , immunology , biomedical engineering , surgery , chromatography , psychiatry
Recent basic experiments have strongly suggested that cell transplantation therapy may promote functional recovery in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, a safe and efficient transplantation technique still remains undetermined. This study, therefore, was aimed to clarify whether fibrin matrix could be a useful scaffold in bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) transplantation for the injured spinal cord. To clarify the issue, three‐dimensional structure of fibrin matrix was assessed and the green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐expressing BMSC were cultured in fibrin matrix. The rats were subjected to spinal cord hemisection at T8 level, and the vehicle, BMSC or BMSC‐fibrin matrix construct was implanted into the cavity. Neurologic function was serially evaluated. Using immunohistochemistry, we evaluated the survival, migration and differentiation of the transplanted cells at 4 weeks after transplantation. In the initial in vitro study, the BMSC could survive in fibrin matrix for 2 weeks. The animals treated with the BMSC‐fibrin matrix construct showed significantly more pronounced recovery of neurologic function than vehicle‐ or BMSC‐treated animals. Fibrin scaffold markedly improved the survival and migration of the transplanted cells. There was no significant difference in the percentage of cells doubly positive for GFP and microtubule‐associated protein 2 between the animals treated with BMSC‐fibrin matrix construct and those treated with BMSC, but a certain subpopulation of GFP‐positive cells morphologically simulated the neurons in the animals treated with BMSC‐fibrin matrix construct. These findings strongly suggest that fibrin matrix may be one of the promising candidates for a potential, minimally invasive scaffold for injured spinal cord, and that such strategy of tissue engineering could be a hopeful option in regeneration therapy for patients with SCI.