Vol. 40 No. 4, July/August 2003, Supplement

Transplantation strategies to promote repair of the injured spinal cord

Mary Bartlett Bunge, PhD; Damien D. Pearse, PhD

The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy and Neurological Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL

Abstract — This review describes the results of the transplantation of Schwann cells and olfactory ensheathing glia in combination with other interventions. The complete transection injury model was used to test the combination of Schwann cell bridges with methylprednisolone, neurotrophins, or olfactory ensheathing glia. The contusion injury model was used to compare Schwann cell and olfactory ensheathing glia transplantation and to examine the results of combining Schwann cell transplants with elevated levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate. The combination strategies were more effective than cell transplantation alone. The improved regeneration response usually involved a reduction in secondary tissue loss, axonal regeneration from brainstem neurons, an increase in myelinated fibers in the transplant, the exit of regenerated fibers from the transplant into the contiguous cord, and an improvement in locomotor function.

Key words: central nervous system (CNS) regeneration, contusion injury, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, methylprednisolone, neurotrophins, olfactory ensheathing glia, raphespinal tract, Schwann cells, spinal cord transection.

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