• Celia Bonilla, Mercedes Zurita, Laura Otero, Concepcion Aguayo, and Jesus Vaquero.
• Neuroscience Research Unit and Mapfre-UAM Chair for Brain Injury Research, Hospital Puerta de Hierro, Majadahonda, Autonomous University, Madrid, Spain.
• Brain Inj. 2009 Aug 1; 23 (9): 760-9.

Primary ObjectiveTo investigate the utility of delayed transplantation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) to improve the neurological sequels after traumatic brain injury (TBI).MethodsAdult Wistar rats were subjected to weight-drop impact causing severe brain injury, and 2 months later, BMSC in saline, or saline alone, were injected into injured brain tissue. Both experimental groups were evaluated by means of rotarod and modified neurologic severity scores (mNSS) tests in the course of the two following months. At this time, the animal were sacrificed and their brains were studied by means of histological and immunohistochemical techniques.ResultsRotarod and mNSS tests showed progressive functional recovery in the BMSC- transplanted rats, compared with controls. Two months after transplantation, BMSC survived in the host tissue, and some of them showed expression of Neu-N or GFAP, suggesting neuronal and astroglial transdifferentiation. Furthermore, significant increase of endogenous neurogenesis was found in BMSC-transplanted rats, compared with controls.ConclusionsThese findings suggest the utility of delayed intracerebral transplantation of BMSC for the treatment of established sequels after TBI.

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