gms | German Medical Science

68th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)
7th Joint Meeting with the British Neurosurgical Society (SBNS)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

14 - 17 May 2017, Magdeburg

Using stem cells following TBI

Meeting Abstract

  • Aminul I. Ahmed - University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
  • Shyam Gajavelli - Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Lois Pope Life Center, University of Miami, Miami, United States
  • B. Da Sousa - Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Lois Pope Life Center, University of Miami, Miami, United States
  • B. Coles - University of Southampton, South Academic Block, Clinical Neurosciences, Southampton, United Kingdom
  • Ashley K. Pringle - University of Southampton, South Academic Block, Clinical Neurosciences, Southampton , United Kingdom
  • M. Ross Bullock - Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Lois Pope Life Center, University of Miami, Miami, United States

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Society of British Neurological Surgeons. 68. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), 7. Joint Meeting mit der Society of British Neurological Surgeons (SBNS). Magdeburg, 14.-17.05.2017. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2017. DocMO.11.03

doi: 10.3205/17dgnc058, urn:nbn:de:0183-17dgnc0589

Published: June 9, 2017

© 2017 Ahmed et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Objectives: While no treatment strategies in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are available, stem cells have emerged as putative therapeutic candidates. Endogenous stem cells can be activated following injury to provide local trophic support and exogenous stem cells can be transplanted to integrate with the host tissue. We present both functional and histological data in both stem cell transplantation and endogenous activation after TBI.

Methods: Adults rodents underwent a unilateral TBI. In the first experiments, we stereotactically injected human stem cells into the injury penumbra. In a separate study, following TBI, we modulated the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway to alter endogenous stem cell characteristics. In both experiments, brains were histologically assessed for cell type and cell maturation. Motor function and memory function were evaluated.

Results: In the cell transplantation experiments, transplant engraftment could be seen by 8 weeks. The transplant processes follow intact white matter tracts. Transplanted cells displayed a neuronal phenotype. Both motor performance and spatial memory were better compared to injured controls. In the endogenous cell experiments, endogenous stem cells were activated after injury, and were modulated following alteration of Sonic Hedgehog signaling. This was accompanied by improvements in motor performance compared to controls.

Conclusion: Stem cell therapy offers a potential treatment for TBI. Strategies to harness these cells include transplantation of cells into the injured site. Alternatively, there is the potential to harness the brain’s own endogenous stem cells for repair by modulating regulatory pathways. Both strategies result in improved functional performance post-injury.