【Animal Modeling】-Iranian researchers found that a new cell transplantation method significantly promotes the recovery of motor function in rats with spinal cord injury

  The research group of Dr. Taki Tiraihi of Tarbiat Modares University School of Medicine in Iran found that motor neuron-like cell transplantation combined with glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor can reduce the formation of syringomyelia in injured rats and increase the density of nerve cells at the site of cell transplantation; and The promotion of motor function recovery in spinal cord injury rats is more obvious, and the effect is much better than other methods.

  Adipose-derived stem cell-derived neural cells can integrate into the host spinal cord after transplantation. However, the lack of an ideal microenvironment for the growth of nerve cells in vivo has become a serious problem restricting their survival.

  The research group of Dr. Taki Tiraihi from the Faculty of Medicine of Tarbiat Modares University in Iran carried out the animal experiments of this project. At 7d after spinal cord contusion in rats, adipose-derived stem cells-induced differentiation of motor neuron-like cells was injected into the center and head and tail of spinal cord injury in rats, and the glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor-gelatin sponge complex was implanted into the myelin sheath.

  The results showed that motor neuron-like cell transplantation combined with glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor could reduce the formation of syringomyelia in injured rats and increase the density of nerve cells at the site of cell transplantation; it also promoted the recovery of motor function in rats with spinal cord injury. Obviously, the effect is better than the effect of single application of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, adipose stem cells and motor neuron-like cells. It shows that this combination therapy is a potential method to repair spinal cord injury.