Combined treatment with human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells and polymer scaffold in rat spinal cord injury

Abstract

Regenerative medicine is a leading approach to treating diseases of the central nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the innate repair benefits of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) coupled with the biocompatibility of a poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) polymer scaffold to treat a rat hemisection model of spinal cord injury. We performed thoracic segmental hemisections on Sprague-Dawley rats and treated them with either scaffolded-hMCSs, scaffold alone, hMSCs alone or saline control. This study not only confirmed the significant sensorimotor benefits of scaffoled-hMSCs after injury, but also elucidated the role of propriospinal neuron activation. The scaffolded-hMSC construct resulted in increased neuroplasticity and reduced secondary neural damage. The feasibility of autologous mesenchymal stem cell transplantation using a biodegradable polymer scaffold makes this treatment an attractive candidate for clinical investigation