Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2012 | Poster presentation
Reconstruction of injured spinal cord by epigenetic regulation of transplanted neural stem cells
Authors:
Masahiko Abematsu, Keita Tsujimura, Mariko Yamano, Michiko Saito, Kenji Kohno, Takao Setoguchi, Kazunori Yone, Kinichi Nakashima, Setsuro Komiya
Published in:
Arthritis Research & Therapy
|
Special Issue 1/2012
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Excerpt
Neural stem cells (NSCs) possess the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into the three major cell types found in the central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies have shown that epigenetic gene regulation events such as DNA methylation and histone modification play important roles in regulating NSC fate specification. In this context, we have previously shown that the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) enhances neuronal differentiation of NSCs. Perhaps because these patterns of NSC differentiation are exquisitely controlled during normal embryonic development, restoration of damaged neural networks in the injured adult CNS is severely limited. Here, using a mouse model of spinal cord injury(SCI), we examined the effectiveness of NSC transplantation and differentiation control by VPA administration. …