A novel surgical approach for transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells following a transection type spinal cord injury in mice

Abstract

Cell based therapies for treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) have shown some efficacy. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) in particular have been investigated with increasing focus owing to their inherent regenerative activity in the olfactory nerve. However, survival and integration of transplanted OECs has been poor following a SCI in animal studies. We have employed a novel technique for transplanting olfactory ensheathing cells following a transection type SCI in C57BL/6 mice. The transection is performed following a laminectomy at T10 vertebral level. Transplanted OECs are harvested from the olfactory mucosa of P7 s100B-DsRed transgenic mice. The glial cells in these mice express DsRed protein that can be visualized as fluorescence. 200,000 cells are prepared and transplanted 7 days following a SCI. Fibrin glue is used to anastomose the cut ends of the spinal cord. The animals are then sacrificed at different time points following the treatment and their spines are harvested. The spines are sectioned and stained for immunofluorescence assays. Upon imaging the spinal cord sections, we found DsRed positive cells at and near the site of transplantation. These cells also appear to localize more in the injury site and to be associated with structural repair of the cord. Since only the transplanted cells express DsRed, it can be stated with certainty that our method of transplanting OECs into an injured spinal cord results in longer survival and better integration. Disclosures: Author 1: grants/research support: Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship, Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation; author 2: none; author 3: none; author 4: grants/research support: Motor Accident Insurance Commission of Queensland.