Enriched environment promotes adult neural progenitor cell mobilization in mouse demyelination models

Abstract

Since the discovery of adult neural stem cells, mobilization of endogenous stem cells from the subventricular zone (SVZ) emerges as a promising strategy to promote brain repair. Here, we examined the effect of environment enrichment on SVZ cell mobilization in demyelinating pathologies. We showed that enriched housing conditions reduced functional impairment in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a rodent model of multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, both in a focal demyelination model (lysolecithin injection) and in the inflammatory EAE model, SVZ mitotic activity and the number of SVZ-derived cells in demyelinated areas were significantly increased by environment enrichment. Enriched housing conditions also promoted the oligodendrocyte fate of SVZ-recruited cells in the EAE lesions. Altogether our results show that environment enrichment provides beneficial conditions to promote the mobilization of neural progenitors into demyelinating lesions and to favour functional recovery.