Transplanted Autologous Neural Stem Cells Show Promise in Restoring Motor Function in Monkey Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that can result in permanent loss of motor and sensory function. In recent years, transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for SCI. However, adult NSCs residing in the central nervous system (CNS) show promise for cell-replacement therapy in neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of transplanting autologous NSCs isolated from the subventricular zone (SVZ-NSCs) into a spinal cord injury model in Rhesus monkeys. We induced SCI in eight Rhesus monkeys and then transplanted SVZ-NSCs into the injury site. Behavioral assessments and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed to evaluate the functional and structural recovery of the spinal cord. Histological analyses were also performed to assess the survival and differentiation of the transplanted cells. SVZ-NSCs were capable of expressing SOX2, Nestin, and GFAP in addition to self-renewing and spontaneous differentiation in vitro . The monkeys showed sensory and motor function recovery, spinal tract regeneration, and partial reconstruction of the spinal cord. Positive Reinforcement Training confirmed no adverse effects from the isolation procedure. Our findings suggest that NSCs transplantation could be a promising therapeutic approach for SCI in humans, and further studies are warranted to investigate its potential for clinical translation. Graphical abstract