Korean J Anat.  2007 Sep;40(3):211-218.

Functional Improvement by Human Adipose Tissue Stromal Cells after Cerebral Ischemia in Rats

• Lee TH

Abstract

Adipose tissue may represent an alternative source of cells capable of neuronal differentiation, potentially enhancing their usefulness in the treatment of neurological disease. We examined that human adipose tissue stromal cells (ATSCs) can be induced to undergo neuronal differentiation. After neuronal induction, the phenotype of hATSCs changed towards neuronal morphology and hATSCs were injected into the lateral ventricle of the rat brain. Implanted cells migrated to brain injury region which was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Intracerebral grafting of hATSCs significantly enhances sensory and motor recovery of functional deficits in MCAO rats. These data indicate that transplanted hATSCs survive, migrate and differentiate in the ischemic microenvironment and improve neurological function recovery after stroke in rats. Therefore, we anticipate that transplantation of hATSCs may provide a powerful autoplastic therapy for human neurological injury and degenerative disorders.

Keyword

hATSC (human adipose tissue stromal cell); MCAO (middle cerebral artery occlusion); Ischemic brain injury

MeSH Terms

Adipose Tissue*
Animals
Brain
Brain Injuries
Brain Ischemia*
Humans*
Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery
Lateral Ventricles
Neurons
Phenotype
Rats*
Recovery of Function
Stroke
Stromal Cells*
Transplants