Origins of Neural Progenitor Cell-Derived Axons Projecting Caudally after Spinal Cord Injury
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) transplanted into sites of spinal cord injury (SCI) extend large numbers of axons into the caudal host spinal cord. We determined the precise locations of neurons in the graft that extend axons into the caudal host spinal cord using AAV9-Cre-initiated retrograde tracing into floxed-TdTomato-expressing NPC grafts. 7,640 ± 630 grafted neurons extended axons to a single caudal host spinal cord site located 2 mm beyond the lesion, 5 weeks post injury. While caudally projecting axons arose from neurons located in all regions of the graft, the majority of caudally projecting graft neurons (53%) were located within the caudal one-third of the graft. Numerous host corticospinal axons formed monosynaptic projections onto caudally projecting graft neurons; however, we find that the majority of host axonal neuronal projections formed by neural progenitor cell interneuronal "relays" across sites of SCI are likely polysynaptic in nature.
Source: Stem Cell Reports
Authors: Paul Lu, Walace Gomes-Leal, Selin Anil, Gabriel Dobkins, J. Russell Huie, Adam R. Ferguson, Lori Graham, Mark Tuszynski
Language: English
Topic: Spinal Cord Injury Research
Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,800
Funders: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation, Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
OpenAlex ID: W2950594004