Cotrasplante de células de Schwann y células madre mesenquimales en la paraplejia traumática experimental

Abstract

Keeping in mind previous observations about the utility of neurotrophic factors released by Schwann cells and increasing regeneration in the injured spinal cord, in the present study we grafted a mixture of Schwann cells (5 x 105) and bone marrow stromal cells (CMM), (3 x 106) into the postraumatic centromedullary cavity of adult Wistar rats, previously paraplegic due to severe spinal cord injury. The recovery of motor function was evaluated according to the scale of BBB in the six following months, and it was compared with the recovery obtained after the administration of CMM (3 x 106) without Schwann cells. Our results confirm that intralesional administration of CMM in the postraumatic centromedullary cavity achieves important and progressive functional recovery in animals suffering a chronically established paraplegia. However, the cograft with Schwann cells, at least with the experimental parameters used in the present study, did n¿t obtain statistically significant differences with regard to the administration of CMM without Schwann cells.