Stem cells turned out to be a remedy for neuropathic pain

Denis Strigun, Naked Science

A group of American biologists has discovered that stem cells can alleviate the condition of patients with neuropathic pain and bladder dysfunction. The results of the work are presented in the journal Cell Stem Cell (Fandel et al., Transplanted Human Stem Cell-Derived Interneuron Precursors Mitigate Mouse Blade Dysfunction and Central Neuropathic Pain after Spinal Cord Injury).

Neuropathic pain is a type of pain that occurs as a result of pathological excitation of neurons, but not physical trauma. In particular, such pain can be observed with spinal cord injuries: at the cellular level, this is expressed in the dysfunction of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Traditional therapy of neuropathic pain in spinal cord injuries includes the use of opioids and antidepressants with side effects.

In a new study, scientists simulated spinal cord injuries in mice accompanied by neuropathic pain and bladder dysfunction. After that, undifferentiated stem cells were injected into the animals' bodies, which were supposed to differentiate into a GABA precursor – human MGE-like cells (MGE – medial ganglionic eminence, medial ganglionic tubercle – VM). The cells were implanted two weeks after the injury was induced. It is emphasized that the injections were carried out not at the site of injury (the center of the chest), but in the lumbosacral plexus, the nerves of which innervate the lower extremities.

The results showed that after six months, the representation of cells in the spinal cord of experimental individuals increased significantly. Animals from the experimental group showed a decrease in pain sensitivity and pathological itching – one of the symptoms of GABA dysfunction. So, compared with the mice from the control group, they were less prone to prolonged combing.

Drawing from an article in Cell Stem Cell

Improvement of bladder activity was assessed by the frequency and size of urine stains that rodents left on filter paper. In the case of individuals who received an injection of stem cells, the spots were rarer and larger, which, according to the authors, indicates more effective retention of urine. In addition, the scientists analyzed the volume and tension of the animals' bladder, which confirmed the positive dynamics in the experimental group.

According to the co-author of the work Alpa Trivedi, the fact that the cells were implanted two weeks after the injury is important. Now clinical trials of phase I stem cells involve implantation immediately after injury. Whereas the condition of most patients with spinal cord injuries is chronic, and the possibility of delayed therapy is more relevant for them.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  04.10.2016