DRG-Derived Neural Progenitors Differentiate into Functional Enteric Neurons Following Transplantation in the Postnatal Colon.

ABSTRACT: Cell therapy has great promise for treating gastrointestinal motility disorders caused by intestinal nervous system (ENS) diseases. However, appropriate sources, other than enteric neural stem cells and human embryonic stem cells, are seldom reported. Here, we show that neural progenitors derived from the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of EGFP mice survived, differentiated into enteric neurons and glia cells, migrated widely from the site of injection, and established neuron-muscle connections following transplantation into the distal colon of postnatal mice. The exogenous EGFP+ neurons were physiologically functional as shown by the activity of calcium imaging. This study shows that that other tissues besides the postnatal bowel harbor neural crest stem cells or neural progenitors that have t

SUBMITTER: Hu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6362519 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature