Journal: Advanced Science
Article Title: Transplanting Human Neural Stem Cells with ≈50% Reduction of SOX9 Gene Dosage Promotes Tissue Repair and Functional Recovery from Severe Spinal Cord Injury
doi: 10.1002/advs.202205804
Figure Lengend Snippet: SOX9 KD grafts exhibit efficient distribution into lesion cavities and integration in the absence of growth factors in the SCI model. A) Representative immunofluorescence images for GFP, MAP2 (red), and GFAP (Blue) in sagittal sections with scramble and SOX9 KD grafts at 1 month (1 m ) post‐graft. The cystic lesion cavity (LC) is surrounded by dense GFAP immunoreactivity (blue) in scramble control, whereas GFP + SOX9 KD grafts extend across GFAP barriers. White box shows a magnified view with indicated markers (Scale bar, 100 µm). Lower panel shows the line scan of fluorescence intensity with indicated markers across the lesion cavity of recipients with scramble and SOX9 KD grafts. ( n = 7 rats per group, 4–5 sections per rat) B) Representative immunofluorescence images for GFP, CSPG (red), and DAPI (Blue) in spinal cord sagittal sections grafted with the scramble and SOX9 KD hNSCs at 1‐month post‐graft. The cystic lesion cavity (LC) formed with surrounding dense CSPG immunoreactivity (red). White box shows a zoomed‐in view with indicated markers. SOX9 KD grafts attenuated CSPG graft/host interface (Scale bar, 500 µm). C) Relative fluorescence intensity analysis of CSPG surrounding the lesion cavity that normalized to the uninjured region ( n = 7 rats per group, 4–5 sections per rat). ** p < 0.05. D) Representative images of host serotonergic axons immunolabeled with 5‐HT (red) extending into the scramble and SOX9 KD grafts at 2 months post‐transplantation. a‐a’’ and b‐b’’ show high magnification of 5‐HT + fibers innervating into the graft at different regions from rostral to caudal (Scale bar, 100 µm). E) Quantification of the portion of host 5‐HT + serotonergic axons in the scramble and SOX9 KD grafts, normalized to the total number of 5‐HT + axons located 0.5 mm rostral to the lesion site ( n = 6 rats per group, 3–4 sections per rat). One‐way ANOVA. ** p < 0.05, *** p < 0.005. F) Triple immunolabeling of host 5‐HT + fibers, proximal hsyn, and GFP‐terminals indicating the establishment of synaptic contacts between the host raphespinal fibers and SOX9 KD grafted cells ( n = 6 rats per group, 3–4 sections per rat, Scale bar, 50 µm).
Article Snippet: As expected, a lesion control without grafts showed the formation of cystic cavitation surrounded by a glial scar expressing both GFAP and CSPG, which prevents axons and corticospinal tract fibers (CST) from penetrating through the lesion cavity that disrupts neuronal connectivity (Figure , Supporting Information).
Techniques: Immunofluorescence, Control, Fluorescence, Immunolabeling, Transplantation Assay