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Schantz SL, Duberstein KJ, Kaiser EE, West FD. Human Neural Stem Cell Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury-A Systematic Review of Pre-Clinical Studies. J Neurotrauma 2025; 42:668-688. [PMID: 39853240 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2024.0544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2025] Open
Abstract
Human neural stem cells (hNSCs) possess significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a leading cause of global death and disability. Recent pre-clinical studies have shown that hNSCs reduce tissue damage and promote functional recovery through neuroprotective and regenerative signaling and cell replacement. Yet the overall efficacy of hNSCs for TBI indications remains unclear. Therefore, this systematic review aims to evaluate hNSC interventions compared with controls in pre-clinical TBI models. Through this process, variations in hNSC administration protocols were consolidated, and key knowledge gaps were identified. Meta-analysis was applied to primary outcomes of lesion volume, Morris Water Maze (MWM) performance, modified Neurological Severity Scores (mNSS), and the rotarod task. Narrative review of secondary outcomes included hNSC survival and differentiation, endogenous neuron survival, axonal injury, and inflammation. Overall, hNSC intervention reduced lesion volume, enhanced MWM performance, and led to trending decreases in acute and chronic neurological deficits at acute and chronic time points. These results suggest hNSCs demonstrate clear efficacy in pre-clinical TBI models. However, further studies are needed to address key questions regarding optimal hNSC administration (e.g., dosing, treatment window) and underlying mechanisms of action prior to progressing to human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Schantz
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Kylee J Duberstein
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Animal and Dairy Science Department, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Erin E Kaiser
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Animal and Dairy Science Department, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Franklin D West
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Animal and Dairy Science Department, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Liu S, Shi L, Huang T, Luo Y, Chen Y, Li S, Wang Z. Neural Stem Cells Transplanted into Rhesus Monkey Cortical Traumatic Brain Injury Can Survive and Differentiate into Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1642. [PMID: 38338922 PMCID: PMC10855641 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cortical traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of cognitive impairment accompanied by motor and behavioral deficits, and there is no effective treatment strategy in the clinic. Cell transplantation is a promising therapeutic strategy, and it is necessary to verify the survival and differentiation of cells after transplantation in large animal models like rhesus monkeys. In this study, we transplanted neural stem cells (NSCs) and simultaneously injected basic fibroblast growth factor/epidermal growth factor (bFGF/EGF) into the cortex (visual and sensory cortices) of rhesus monkeys with superficial TBI. The results showed that the transplanted NSCs did not enter the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and were confined to the transplantation site for at least one year. The transplanted NSCs differentiated into mature neurons that formed synaptic connections with host neurons, but glial scar formation between the graft and the host tissue did not occur. This study is the first to explore the repairing effect of transplanting NSCs into the superficial cerebral cortex of rhesus monkeys after TBI, and the results show the ability of NSCs to survive long-term and differentiate into neurons, demonstrating the potential of NSC transplantation for cortical TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (S.L.); (L.S.); (T.H.); (Y.L.); (S.L.)
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Liping Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (S.L.); (L.S.); (T.H.); (Y.L.); (S.L.)
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Tianzhuang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (S.L.); (L.S.); (T.H.); (Y.L.); (S.L.)
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yuyi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (S.L.); (L.S.); (T.H.); (Y.L.); (S.L.)
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yongchang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (S.L.); (L.S.); (T.H.); (Y.L.); (S.L.)
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Shangang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (S.L.); (L.S.); (T.H.); (Y.L.); (S.L.)
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhengbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (S.L.); (L.S.); (T.H.); (Y.L.); (S.L.)
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
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