Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Anwarul Hasan,Hany El Syed Marei Mady,George Deeb,Rahaf Rahal,Stefania Mondello,Khairallah Atwi,Amr Gali,Eliana Sleiman

doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00028

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is characterized by a disruption in the normal function of the brain due to an injury following a trauma, which can potentially cause severe physical, cognitive, and emotional impairment. The primary insult to the brain initiates secondary injury cascades consisting of multiple complex biochemical responses of the brain that significantly influence the overall severity of the brain damage and clinical sequelae. The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offers huge potential for application in the treatment of TBI. MSCs have immunosuppressive properties that reduce inflammation in injured tissue. As such, they could be used to modulate the secondary mechanisms of injury and halt the progression of the secondary insult in the brain after injury. Particularly, MSCs are capable of secreting growth factors that facilitate the regrowth of neurons in the brain. The relative abundance of harvest sources of MSCs also makes them particularly appealing. Recently, numerous studies have investigated the effects of infusion of MSCs into animal models of TBI. The results have shown significant improvement in the motor function of the damaged brain tissues. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the application of MSCs in the treatment of TBI. The review starts with a brief introduction of the pathophysiology of TBI, followed by the biology of MSCs, and the application of MSCs in TBI treatment. The challenges associated with the application of MSCs in the treatment of TBI and strategies to address those challenges in the future have also been discussed.

Highlights

Around 10 million people worldwide suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which lead either to death or hospitalization [1]
It was found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into neuron- and astrocyte-like cells when transplanted into rats with TBI [39]
The use of MSCs in treatment of TBI has gained enormous interest over the last decade. This is because, MSCs are relatively easy to harvest, they elicit no immune response, and they can differentiate into cells of neuronal lineages, thereby helping postTBI repair of neural tissues

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Around 10 million people worldwide suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which lead either to death or hospitalization [1]. The complex cascade of resultant events is known as the secondary stage of TBI In response to this cascade, astrocytes become hypertrophic and are activated building a physical barrier (the glial scar) isolating the site of injury and protecting the neurons that are still intact. MSC’s therapeutic and restorative potential for TBI is evident from their ability to differentiate into neural cell lineages, to home to sites of injury, as well as to cross the BBB. The migration of MSCs to the site of injury in the heart was significantly more effective in the latter case In addition to their ability to differentiate into cells of various lineages and their tendency to home or migrate toward the sites of injuries, the immunosuppressive properties of MSCs have resulted in growing interest in their potential clinical applications. The MSC’s ability to cross the BBB is a primary cause of its appeal as a TBI treatment method

REPORTED RESULTS IN DECREASING TBI SEQUELAE

Result

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS