Search

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that were originally isolated from bone marrow. In contrast to long bone-derived MSCs that have been extensively characterized, our knowledge regarding to MSCs isolated from flat bones (e.g., cranial bones) remain less clear. In this study, MSCs were purified from human cranial bone marrow (CB-MSCs) and their transdifferentiation capacity and immunomodulatory functions were further characterized. Phenotypic analysis of CB-MSCs demonstrated high expression of CD73, CD90, and CD105 while negative for CD14, CD34, and HLA-DR. Further in vitro differentiation assay shown that CB-MSCs capable of differentiating into cell types of mesenchymal origin (i.e., adipocytes, osetoblasts, and chondrocytes) and collectively, these results indicated that cells isolated from cranial bone marrow in this study are bona fide MSCs according to the minimal criteria proposed by the International Society for Cellular Therapy. Following in vitro expansion, single colony-derived CB-MSCs (scCB-MSCs) were obtained and confocal microscopy analysis further revealed functional heterogeneity within primary CB-MSCs. Specifically, obtained scCB-MSCs exhibited GABA progenitor features, as determined by olig2 and nestin. As expect, scCB-MSCs were readily induced to differentiate into GABAergic neuron-like cells. Furthermore, immunomodulatory roles of scCB-MSCs were evaluated following co-culture with human peripheral blood lymphocytes and results shown that co-culturing with scCB-MSCs significantly suppressed lymphocyte proliferation and promoted differentiation of lymphocytes into regulatory T cells but not Th1/Th17 phenotype. Overall, our results indicated that CB-MSCs exhibited clonal heterogeneity with marked propensity to differentiate into neural-like cells and this might represent promising candidates for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Spontaneous skull base cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks due to idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) are a rare entity. Patients often present with CSF rhinorrhea, recurrent meningitis, chronic headache, and visual defects, while few patients have been reported to present with neuroendocrine alterations. Endonasal endoscopic repair is the first-line treatment for these leaks at present. However, the relatively high risk of recurrence remains the main cause of reoperation because of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) after endoscopic surgery and absence of postoperative ICP management. A shunting procedure may stop CSF leakage or relieve symptoms in complex cases, and this is presently well-known as the last-line therapy for CSF liquorrhea. We describe a 29-year-old woman with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea and neuroendocrine alterations due to IIH, and with no previous history of trauma, tumor, or nasal surgery. The bone defect in the skull base became implicated when the site of the leak was detected by cranial magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography (CT). The patient was successfully managed via ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) alone without endoscopic repair, and neuroendocrine alterations resolved after the shunting procedure.