Human dental pulp stem cell spheroid therapy after spinal motor root avulsion in adult rats

Abstract

Spinal cord injuries result in serious neurological deficits and substancial neuronal loss, with consequent repair difficulty. Therefore, the mesenchymal stem cells have presented promising results for treating such lesions, leading to satisfactory nerve regeneration, not achieved with conventional treatment methods. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the regeneration potential of human dental pulp stem cells pheroids after spinal cord motor root avulsion in adult rats. Thus, 60 adult Lewis rats will be divided into four groups: (GA) avulsion; (G1) avulsion associated to reimplantation and 2D cell therapy, (G2) avulsion associated to reimplantation and 3Dcell therapy and (GC) control - without avulsion. The application of cells in 2D and 3Dculture will be made by means of microsurgery, following ventral root avulsion. The animals will be evaluated 7, 14 and 84 days post injury and repair. For that, spinal cord frozen sections will be obtained for later analyses by means of neuronal counting (Nissl staining), eosin-hematoxylin staining, real time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and walking track test (CatWalk). (AU)