BASIC STUDIES OF ADRENAL CELLS FOR TRANSPLANTATION
Jacqueline Sagen, Ph.D. • Mary J. Eaton, Ph.D.

Chromaffin cells lie in the center of the adrenal gland. They produce adrenaline and many other compounds that can affect the nervous system, including opiates and catecholamines. Adrenal chromaffin cells grafted near the spinal cord secrete molecules that decrease chronic pain in animal models. Dr. Ian Hentall, a visiting scientist on sabbatical in the laboratory of Dr. Jaci Sagen, explored how the environment of the host tissue can influence secretion of important compounds by the grafted cells. They tested samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord to protect and nourish the central nervous system. The CSF from injured rats stimulated the release of more catecholamines from chromaffin cells than that from uninjured animals. This suggests that the CSF of patients experiencing chronic pain could significantly affect the behavior and function of chromaffin cells grafted near their spinal cord, stimulating the production of molecules known to alleviate pain.

Because such grafts show promise for attenuating pain, potential sources of these cells for use in clinical trials is an important question. Dr. Mary Eaton has been working for several years to generate cell lines that could be grown in the lab for use in such grafting strategies. She and Dr. Sagen have collaborated on research using genetic engineering to develop cell lines from the adrenal glands of embryonic rat and newborn calves. The lines have been grown in the lab for over three years, and continue to make the catecholamines and other molecules needed for successful grafting strategies. This result is promising for the implementation of novel therapies for pain management.