Endogenous repair mechanisms after human stem cell transplantation following stroke

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25861282
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurosurgery
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: HIU Takeshi 長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(医学系), 客員研究員 (00404260)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 神経幹細胞 / 脳梗塞 / シナプス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Vehicle or human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) derived from fetal cortex were transplanted into the ischemic cortex of Nude rats at 7 days after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion. Transplantation of hNPCs significantly improved behavioral recovery after stroke compared to vehicle-treated rats at 4 weeks post-transplantation.hNPC-treated rats had a higher density of glutamatergic synapses in layer 5 at 4 weeks post-transplantation, compared to vehicle-treated rats.
These results provide novel new information about the organization of synaptic circuitry and its plasticity after stem cell therapy. These data suggest that stem cells alter the synaptic remodeling of glutamatergic synapses after stroke and this is coincident with stem cell-induced functional recovery.

Free Research Field

脳神経外科学