November 24, 2021
Keio University School of Medicine
A research group at the Keio University School of Medicine, centered around Professor Hideyuki Okano of the Department of Physiology and Professor Masaya Nakamura, Assistant Professor Momotaro Kawai, and Senior Lecturer Narihito Nagoshi of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, has successfully restored motor function in mice with spinal cord injury by transplanting human iPS cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cells and then using an artificial receptor technology called DREADDs to repeatedly stimulate the transplanted cells from outside the body, thereby enhancing their activity.
Previously, this research group had reported the effectiveness of transplanting human iPS cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cells into animals with subacute spinal cord injury for improving motor function. In this latest study, they conducted a detailed investigation focusing on the activity of the neural stem/progenitor cells after transplantation. They introduced an artificial receptor gene into the neural stem/progenitor cells beforehand, transplanted them into mice with subacute spinal cord injury, and then selectively stimulated only the transplanted cells over a long period. The results showed that, compared to animals that only received the transplant, the stimulated animals exhibited enhanced synaptic activity and improved motor function.
The results of this study have clarified the importance of both the activity of human iPS cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cells and the synaptic activity between transplanted cells and surrounding tissues for treating spinal cord injury. Based on these findings, the development of treatments aimed at improving the efficacy of cell transplantation therapy for spinal cord injury is anticipated, moving toward clinical application.
These research findings were published in the online edition of "Cell Reports" on November 23, 2021 (US Eastern Time).
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