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Currently, there is no effective strategy for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). A suitable combination of modern hydrogel materials, modified to effectively bridge the lesion cavity, combined with appropriate stem cell therapy seems to be a promising approach to repair spinal cord damage. We demonstrate the synergic effect of porosity and surface modification of hydrogels on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) adhesiveness in vitro and their in vivo survival in an experimental model of SCI. MSCs were seeded on four different hydrogels: hydroxypropylmethacrylate-RGD prepared by heterophase separation (HPMA-HS-RGD) and three other hydrogels polymerized in the presence of a solid porogen: HPMA-SP, HPMA-SP-RGD, and hydroxy ethyl methacrylate [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (HEMA-MOETACl). Their adhesion capability and cell survival were evaluated at 1, 7, and 14 days after the seeding of MSCs on the hydrogel scaffolds. The cell-polymer scaffolds were then implanted into hemisected rat spinal cord, and MSC survival in vivo and the ingrowth of endogenous tissue elements were evaluated 1 month after implantation. In vitro data demonstrated that HEMA-MOETACl and HPMA-SP-RGD hydrogels were superior in the number of cells attached. In vivo, the highest cell survival was found in the HEMA-MOETACl hydrogels; however, only a small ingrowth of blood vessels and axons was observed. Both HPMA-SP and HPMA-SP-RGD hydrogels showed better survival of MSCs compared with the HPMA-HS-RGD hydrogel. The RGD sequence attached to both types of HPMA hydrogels significantly influenced the number of blood vessels inside the implanted hydrogels. Further, the porous structure of HPMA-SP hydrogels promoted a statistically significant greater ingrowth of axons and less connective tissue elements into the implant. Our results demonstrate that the physical and chemical properties of the HPMA-SP-RGD hydrogel show the best combination for bridging a spinal cord lesion, while the HEMA-MOETACl hydrogel serves as the best carrier of MSCs.

The biological effects of several superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) varying in their surface coating were tested using human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells from two donors - hBMSCs-1 and hBMSCs-2. The measurements were performed at two intervals - after 72 h exposure to the nanoparticles and after an additional 72 h cell growth without nanoparticles. The dose of SPIONs used (15.4 μg Fe/ml) was selected as being sufficient for in vivo cell tracking using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Concerning cell viability and cell death, only the hBMSCs-2 seemed to be sensitive to the action of SPIONs. However, an increase of oxidative injury to lipids, proteins and DNA as a consequence of exposure to SPIONs was detected in cells from both donors. Particularly the levels of lipid peroxidation were high and increased further with time, regardless of the type of nanoparticle. Lowering intracellular label concentrations and authenticating oxidative stress levels using in vivo experiments are required to ensure the safety of SPIONs for biomedical applications.

Background aims. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of brain and spinal cord motor neurons (MN). The intraspinal and systemic grafting of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) was used to treat symptomatic transgenic rats overexpressing human superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in order to alleviate the disease course and prolong the animals ' lifespan. Methods. At the age of 16 weeks (disease onset) the rats received two grafts of MSC expressing green fl uorescent protein (GFPMSC) on the same day, intraspinally (10 5 cells) and intrave- nously (2 � 10 6 cells). Sham-treated animals were injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Motor activity, grip strength and body weight were tested, followed by immunohistochemical analysis. Results. The combined grafting of MSC into symptomatic rats had a signifi cant effect on motor activity and grip strength starting 4 weeks after transplantation. The lifespan of animals in the treated group was 190 � 3.33 days compared with 179 � 3.6 days in the control group of animals. Treated rats had a larger number of MN at the thoracic and lumbar levels; these MN were of larger size, and the intensity of terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining in the somas of apoptotic MN at the thoracic level was much lower than in sham-treated animals. Transplanted GFPMSC survived in the spinal cord until the end stage of the disease and migrated both rostrally and caudally from the injection site. Conclusions . Intraspinal and intravenous transplantation of MSC has a benefi cial and possibly synergistic effect on the lifespan of ALS animals.

Multimodal imaging-therapeutic nanoprobe TiO(2)@RhdGd was prepared and successfully used for in vitro and in vivo cell tracking as well as for killing of cancer cells in vitro. TiO(2) nanoparticles were used as a core for phosphonic acid modified functionalities, responsible for contrast in MRI and optical imaging. The probe shows high (1)H relaxivity and relaxivity density values. Presence of fluorescent dye allows for visualization by means of fluorescence microscopy. The applicability of the probe was studied, using mesenchymal stem cells, cancer HeLa cells, and T-lymphocytes. The probe did not exhibit toxicity in any of these systems. Labeled cells were successfully visualized in vitro by means of fluorescence microscopy and MRI. Furthermore, it was shown that the probe TiO(2)@RhdGd can be changed into a cancer cell killer upon UV light irradiation. The above stated results represent a valuable proof of a principle showing applicability of the probe design for diagnosis and therapy.

Maghemite nanoparticles with various coatings were prepared by the coprecipitation method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and IR in terms of morphology, size, polydispersity and surface coating. The labeling efficiency and the viability of both rat and human mesenchymal stem cells labeled with Endorem ® , poly( l -lysine) (PLL)-modified Endorem ® , uncoated γ-Fe 2 O 3 , d -mannose-, PLL- or poly( N,N -dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAAm)-coated γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were compared. Coated γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles labeled cells better than did Endorem ® . High relaxation rates and in vitro magnetic resonance imaging of cells labeled with coated nanoparticles showed clearly visible contrast compared with unlabeled cells or cells labeled with Endorem ® .

Introduction A growing number of studies have highlighted the potential of stem cell and more-differentiated neural cell transplantation as intriguing therapeutic approaches for neural repair after spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods A conditionally immortalized neural stem cell line derived from human fetal spinal cord tissue (SPC-01) was used to treat a balloon-induced SCI. SPC-01 cells were implanted into the lesion 1 week after SCI. To determine the feasibility of tracking transplanted stem cells, a portion of the SPC-01 cells was labeled with poly-L-lysine-coated superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles, and the animals grafted with labeled cells underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Functional recovery was evaluated by using the BBB and plantar tests, and lesion morphology, endogenous axonal sprouting and graft survival, and differentiation were analyzed. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to evaluate the effect of transplanted SPC-01 cells on endogenous regenerative processes. Results Transplanted animals displayed significant motor and sensory improvement 2 months after SCI, when the cells robustly survived in the lesion and partially filled the lesion cavity. qPCR revealed the increased expression of rat and human neurotrophin and motor neuron genes. The grafted cells were immunohistologically positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP); however, we found 25% of the cells to be positive for Nkx6.1, an early motor neuron marker. Spared white matter and the robust sprouting of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43)+ axons were found in the host tissue. Four months after SCI, the grafted cells matured into Islet2+ and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)+ neurons, and the graft was grown through with endogenous neurons. Grafted cells labeled with poly-L-lysine-coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles before transplantation were detected in the lesion on T2-weighted images as hypointense spots that correlated with histologic staining for iron and the human mitochondrial marker MTCO2. Conclusions The transplantation of SPC-01 cells produced significant early functional improvement after SCI, suggesting an early neurotrophic action associated with long-term restoration of the host tissue, making the cells a promising candidate for future cell therapy in patients with SCI.

Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by tissue loss and a stable functional deficit. While several experimental therapies have proven to be partly successful for the treatment of acute SCI, treatment of chronic SCI is still challenging. We studied whether we can bridge a chronic spinal cord lesion by implantation of our newly developed hydrogel based on 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylamide, either alone or seeded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and whether this treatment leads to functional improvement. A balloon-induced compression lesion was performed in adult 2-month-old male Wistar rats. Five weeks after injury, HPMA-RGD hydrogels [N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-methacrylamide with attached amino acid sequences--Arg-Gly-Asp] were implanted into the lesion, either with or without seeded MSCs. Animals with chronic SCI served as controls. The animals were behaviorally tested using the Basso–Beattie-Breshnahan (BBB) (motor) and plantar (sensory) tests once a week for 6 months. Behavioral analysis showed a statistically significant improvement in rats with combined treatment, hydrogel and MSCs, compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Although a tendency toward improvement was found in rats treated with hydrogel only, this was not significant. Subsequently, the animals were sacrificed 6 months after SCI, and the spinal cord lesions evaluated histologically. The combined therapy (hydrogel with MSCs) prevented tissue atrophy (P < 0.05), and the hydrogels were infiltrated with axons myelinated with Schwann cells. Blood vessels and astrocytes also grew inside the implant. MSCs were present in the hydrogels even 5 months after implantation. We conclude that 5 weeks after injury, HPMA-RGD hydrogels seeded with MSCs can successfully bridge a spinal cord cavity and provide a scaffold for tissue regeneration. This treatment leads to functional improvement even in chronic SCI.