Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Transplants Remyelinate and Restore Locomotion after Spinal Cord Injury

TLDR

Demyelination after spinal cord injury impairs function, suggesting that replacing myelin‑forming cells could be therapeutic. The study tests whether transplanting hESC‑derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells into injured rat spinal cords improves remyelination and motor function. OPCs were injected either 7 days or 10 months post‑injury. Transplanted OPCs survived, migrated locally, differentiated into oligodendrocytes, and when delivered 7 days after injury they enhanced remyelination and markedly improved locomotion, whereas 10‑month transplantation yielded no remyelination or functional recovery, demonstrating the feasibility and early therapeutic potential of hESC‑derived OPCs.

Abstract

Demyelination contributes to loss of function after spinal cord injury, and thus a potential therapeutic strategy involves replacing myelin-forming cells. Here, we show that transplantation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) into adult rat spinal cord injuries enhances remyelination and promotes improvement of motor function. OPCs were injected 7 d or 10 months after injury. In both cases, transplanted cells survived, redistributed over short distances, and differentiated into oligodendrocytes. Animals that received OPCs 7 d after injury exhibited enhanced remyelination and substantially improved locomotor ability. In contrast, when OPCs were transplanted 10 months after injury, there was no enhanced remyelination or locomotor recovery. These studies document the feasibility of predifferentiating hESCs into functional OPCs and demonstrate their therapeutic potential at early time points after spinal cord injury.