2003 Director's Summary Synopsis

CELL TRANSPLANTATION IN RELEVANT INJURY MODELS
Martin Oudega, Ph.D. • Mary Bartlett Bunge, Ph.D.

As we look to future surgical repair strategies for the contused spinal cord in humans, the results of a collaboration between Giles W. Plant, Ph.D. now of the University of Western Australia, and The Miami Project’s Martin Oudega, Ph.D. and Mary Bartlett Bunge, Ph.D., have relevant implications. It is likely that future treatments to repair damaged nerve fibers will not be administered immediately after injury but will need to be delayed. Recent evidence suggests that a delayed treatment may actually be of more benefit. This study was designed to evaluate a delayed cell transplantation in a contusion model of spinal cord injury, a type of injury similar to the majority of injuries sustained by humans.

The study assessed the transplantation of olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG). OEG are unique helper cells found in nerves that carry odor sensations to the brain. Studies have shown that OEG can promote growth of damaged axons. Comparing the effect of OEG transplantation 30 minutes after injury versus transplantation seven days after injury, the scientists found that the group receiving the delayed transplantation had modest but significant improvements in hindlimb movements. These results provide encouragement that OEG promote the sparing/regeneration of axons that are important in restoring movement. Further research will be required to determine whether OEG promote regeneration in longstanding chronic injuries and whether they can eventually be applied in human trials.

Synopsis Publications

 Plant GW, Christensen CL, Oudega M, Bunge MB (2003) Delayed transplantation of olfactory ensheathing glia promotes sparing/regeneration of supraspinal axons in the contused adult rat spinal cord. J Neurotrauma 20:1-16.