Impact of cranial bone-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for functional recovery in experimental spinal cord injury

Impairments of the central nervous system, such as in stroke, brain trauma, and spinal cord injury (SCI), cannot be reversed using current treatment options. This study compared the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of transplanted rat cranial bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rcMSCs) and rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rbMSCs) in a rat model of cervical SCI (cSCI). Rats were intravenously administered rcMSCs, rbMSCs, or phosphate-buffered saline (control) 24 h after undergoing cSCI. The rcMSC-treated group showed improved functional recovery over the rbMSC-treated and control groups, as well as reduced lesion volume compared to the control group. mRNA expression levels of transforming growth factor-β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and nitric oxide synthase 2 at the spinal cord lesion site were significantly higher in the rcMSC-treated group than in the control and rbMSCs-treated groups. Comprehensive comparative bioinformatics analysis of rcMSC and rbMSC RNA sequencing results indicated that genes associated with leukocyte transendothelial migration and chemokine signaling were significantly downregulated in rcMSCs. The study findings demonstrate that rcMSCs have more potent anti-inflammatory effects than rbMSCs, likely induced by inhibiting neutrophil migration and suppressing chemokine expression, thereby leading to improved functional recovery in cSCI model rats.