Jennifer N. Dulin and the rest of the research team at the Dulin lab recently published their research in Nature Communications regarding neural cell transplantation’s varying therapeutic success when grafted to spinal cord injuries. Their tests aimed to discover why recovery from spinal cord injury has remained inconsistent by mapping whether grafted neurons spontaneously form synaptic connections.
They transplanted spinal cord cells into the injury site and mapped how the new neurons connected to host lumbar motor circuits. They used viral tracing techniques, with two strains of rabies to reveal neuron circuits and assess the success of graft-host integration.
After testing with electromyography, a diagnostic procedure wherein electrodes assess nerve and muscle function, their results showed that less than one percent of grafted neurons formed synaptic connections. The paper found no significant correlation between graft volume and increased locomotive function.
This work was funded by the Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation, the Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Texas A&M College of Science Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and Mission Connect, a program of TIRR Foundation.