The Biological Behaviors of Neural Stem Cell Affected by Microenvironment from Host Organotypic Brain Slices under Different Conditions

Therapeutic strategies based on neural stem cells (NSCs) transplantation bring new hope for neural degenerative disorders, while the biological behaviors of NSCs after being grafted that were affected by the host tissue are still largely unknown. In this study, we engrafted NSCs that were isolated from a rat embryonic cerebral cortex onto organotypic brain slices to examine the interaction between grafts and the host tissue both in normal and pathological conditions, including oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and traumatic injury. Our data showed that the survival and differentiation of NSCs were strongly influenced by the microenvironment of the host tissue. Enhanced neuronal differentiation was observed in normal conditions, while significantly more glial differentiation was observed in injured brain slices. The process growth of grafted NSCs was guided by the cytoarchitecture of host brain slices and showed the distinct difference between the cerebral cortex, corpus callosum and striatum. These findings provided a powerful resource for unraveling how the host environment determines the fate of grafted NSCs, and raise the prospect of NSCs transplantation therapy for neurological diseases.

Automated summary

Therapeutic strategies based on neural stem cells (NSCs) transplantation provide hope for neural degenerative disorders, but the influence of host tissue on the behavior of transplanted NSCs is not well understood. This study examined the interaction between NSC grafts and host tissue in normal and pathological conditions, revealing that the microenvironment strongly influenced the survival, differentiation, and growth of NSCs. The findings contribute to understanding how the host environment determines the fate of transplanted NSCs and support the potential of NSC transplantation therapy for neurological diseases.