The Characterization of Spinal Cord Stem Cells in Response to Extracellular Matrix

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) can be caused by direct injuries such as car accidents, falls, and sports injuries and also by indirect injuries such as diseased tissue that surrounds and affects the spinal cord [1]. 12,000 new SCI cases are reported in the US every year and there are estimated to be up to 327,000 people in the US currently living with a SCI [1-2]. In 2008, a study was performed where spinal cord stem cells (SPC) were expanded in vitro and transplanted into the site of a SCI. The result of the study was that the SPC lead to better remodeling of the spinal cord following injury [3]. There was also found that SPC were present in small populations throughout the adult spinal cord. The group hypothesized that if these cells could be recruited to the site of injury and stimulated to proliferate and differentiate, functional recovery of the spinal cord would be promoted after injury. In a study by Crapo et al, extracellular matrix (ECM) was derived from central nervous system (CNS) tissue and its effects on PC12 cells were evaluated along with the effects of urinary bladder ECM (UBM) on the cells [4]. PC12 cells are tumor cells known to differentiate when treated with nerve growth factor and are widely used throughout literature to model neuronal differentiation. The study found that CNS derived ECM had a more positive effect on the proliferation and migration of the PC12 cells than the non-CNS ECM (UBM) [4].