Newswise — WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 5, 2015) — Winner of the Young Neurosurgeons Abstract Award, Abdullah H. Feroze, B.S., presented his abstract, entitled Neural Placode Tissue Derived from Myelomeningocele Repair Serves as a Viable Source of Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells, during the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
Central nervous system injury remains a leading cause of permanent functional compromise. Despite evidence suggesting potential for restoration of neurological function through cell-based repopulation across a number of clinical applications, successful efforts through the use of primary tissue, embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells remain limited.
Recent evidence suggests the tendency of neural stem cells to reside adjacent to ependymal-lined surfaces along the central nervous system axis. Given such neuro-anatomical correlation and regenerative capacity in fetal development, study authors assessed myelomeningocele-derived neural placode tissue as a potentially novel source of neural stem and progenitor cells.
During the study, non-functional neural placode tissue was harvested from infants during the surgical repair of myelomeningocele, and the tissue was further analyzed by in vitro studies, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. To assess lineage potential, neural placode-derived neurospheres were subjected to differential media conditions. Through assessment of PDGFRα- and CD15 cell marker expression — markers of oligodendrocyte and neural progenitor cells, respectively — Sox2+Olig2+ putative oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) were successfully isolated.
The PDGFRαhi CD15hi cell population demonstrated the highest rate of self-renewal capacity and multipotency of cell progeny. Immunofluorescence of neural placode-derived neurospheres demonstrated preferential expression of oligodendrocyte progenitor marker, CNPase, whereas differentiation to neurons and astrocytes was also noted, albeit to a significantly more limited degree.
Such findings suggest that non-functional neural placode tissue derived from myelomeningocele repair contains multipotent self-renewing progenitors that are preferentially biased towards oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation and presents a novel source of such cells for that may be used in the treatment of a variety of pediatric and adult neurologic diseases, including spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and metabolic leukoencephalopathies in either autograft, or allograft, capacities.
Author Block: Siddhartha Mitra, Ph.D.; Sharareh Gholamin, M.D.; Rogelio Esparza.; Michael Zhang; Tej Azad; Bahaudeen Alrfaei, PhD; Suzana Kahn, PhD; Graham Creasey, MD; Giles Plant, PhD; Michael S.B. Edwards, MD, FAANS; Samuel H. Cheshier, MD, PhD
Disclosure: The author reported no conflicts of interest.
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About the 2015 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting: Attended by neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, neuroscience nurses, clinical specialists, physician assistants, allied health professionals and other medical professionals, the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting is the largest gathering of neurosurgeons in the nation, with an emphasis on the field’s latest research and technological advances. More than 1,200 scientific abstracts were presented for review at the 2015 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, and the scientific presentations given at this year’s event represent cutting-edge examples of the incredible developments taking place within the field of neurosurgery. Additional information about the 2015 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting and the meeting program can be found here.
Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 9,000 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. Fellows of the AANS are board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, A.C. Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the spinal column, spinal cord, brain, nervous system and peripheral nerves.
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