Electroacupuncture facilitates the integration of a grafted TrkC-modified mesenchymal stem cell-derived neural network into transected spinal cord in rats via increasing neurotrophin-3.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

This study was aimed to investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) would increase the secretion of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) from injured spinal cord tissue, and, if so, whether the increased NT-3 would promote the survival, differentiation, and migration of grafted tyrosine kinase C (TrkC)-modified mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived neural network cells. We next sought to determine if the latter would integrate with the host spinal cord neural circuit to improve the neurological function of injured spinal cord.

Methods

After NT-3-modified Schwann cells (SCs) and TrkC-modified MSCs were co-cultured in a gelatin sponge scaffold for 14 days, the MSCs differentiated into neuron-like cells that formed a MSC-derived neural network (MN) implant. On this basis, we combined the M

SUBMITTER: Yang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8193704 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature