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Neural precursor cells (NSCs) hold great potential to treat a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and injuries to the spinal cord. However, current delivery techniques require an invasive approach in which an injection needle is advanced into the spinal parenchyma to deliver cells of interest. As such, this approach is associated with an inherent risk of spinal injury, as well as a limited delivery of cells into multiple spinal segments. Here, we characterize the use of a novel cell delivery technique that employs single bolus cell injections into the spinal subpial space. In immunodeficient rats, two subpial injections of human NSCs were performed in the cervical and lumbar spinal cord, respectively. The survival, distribution, and phenotype of transplanted cells were assessed 6‐8 months after injection. Immunofluorescence staining and mRNA sequencing analysis demonstrated a near‐complete occupation of the spinal cord by injected cells, in which transplanted human NSCs (hNSCs) preferentially acquired glial phenotypes, expressing oligodendrocyte (Olig2, APC) or astrocyte (GFAP) markers. In the outermost layer of the spinal cord, injected hNSCs differentiated into glia limitans‐forming astrocytes and expressed human‐specific superoxide dismutase and laminin. All animals showed normal neurological function for the duration of the analysis. These data show that the subpial cell delivery technique is highly effective in populating the entire spinal cord with injected NSCs, and has a potential for clinical use in cell replacement therapies for the treatment of ALS, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord injury., Migration and functional maturation of subpially injected human neural precursor cells (hNSCs) in immunodeficient rats: after injection, cells migrate into the spinal parenchyma across the glia limitans. A subpopulation of cells differentiate into astrocytes, incorporate into glia limitans and express functional markers characteristic if glia limitans‐forming astrocytes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and laminin. The other population of injected cells continues to migrate into the spinal parenchyma.

Human neural stem cells (hNSCs) transplantation in several brain injury models has established their therapeutic potential. However, the feasibility of hNSCs transplantation is still not clear for acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) brain injury that needs external decompression. Thus, the aim of this pilot study was to test feasibility using a rat ASDH decompression model with two clinically relevant transplantation methods. Two different methods, in situ stereotactic injection and hNSC-embedded matrix seating on the brain surface, were attempted. Athymic rats were randomized to uninjured or ASDH groups (F344/NJcl-rnu/rnu, n = 7–10/group). Animals in injury group were subjected to ASDH, and received decompressive craniectomy and 1-week after decompression surgery were transplanted with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transduced hNSCs using one of two approaches. Histopathological examinations at 4 and 8 weeks showed that the GFP-positive hNSCs survived in injured brain tissue, extended neurite-like projections resembling neural dendrites. The in situ transplantation group had greater engraftment of hNSCs than matrix embedding approach. Immunohistochemistry with doublecortin, NeuN, and GFAP at 8 weeks after transplantation showed that transplanted hNSCs remained as immature neurons and did not differentiate toward to glial cell lines. Motor function was assessed with rotarod, compared to control group (n = 10). The latency to fall from the rotarod in hNSC in situ transplanted rats was significantly higher than in control rats (median, 113 s in hNSC vs. 69 s in control, P = 0.02). This study first demonstrates the robust engraftment of in situ transplanted hNSCs in a clinically-relevant ASDH decompression rat model. Further preclinical studies with longer study duration are warranted to verify the effectiveness of hNSC transplantation in amelioration of TBI induced deficits.

Objective: To test the safety of spinal cord transplantation of human stem cells in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with escalating doses and expansion of the trial to multiple clinical centers. Methods: This open-label trial included 15 participants at 3 academic centers divided into 5 treatment groups receiving increasing doses of stem cells by increasing numbers of cells/injection and increasing numbers of injections. All participants received bilateral injections into the cervical spinal cord (C3-C5). The final group received injections into both the lumbar (L2-L4) and cervical cord through 2 separate surgical procedures. Participants were assessed for adverse events and progression of disease, as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale–Revised, forced vital capacity, and quantitative measures of strength. Statistical analysis focused on the slopes of decline of these phase 2 trial participants alone or in combination with the phase 1 participants (previously reported), comparing these groups to 3 separate historical control groups. Results: Adverse events were mostly related to transient pain associated with surgery and to side effects of immunosuppressant medications. There was one incident of acute postoperative deterioration in neurologic function and another incident of a central pain syndrome. We could not discern differences in surgical outcomes between surgeons. Comparisons of the slopes of decline with the 3 separate historical control groups showed no differences in mean rates of progression. Conclusions: Intraspinal transplantation of human spinal cord–derived neural stem cells can be safely accomplished at high doses, including successive lumbar and cervical procedures. The procedure can be expanded safely to multiple surgical centers. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients with ALS, spinal cord transplantation of human stem cells can be safely accomplished and does not accelerate the progression of the disease. This study lacks the precision to exclude important benefit or safety issues.

Objective Intraspinal human spinal cord-derived neural stem cell (HSSC) transplantation is a potential therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); however, previous trials lack controls. This post hoc analysis compared ambulatory limb-onset ALS participants in Phase 1 and 2 (Ph1/2) open-label intraspinal HSSC transplantation studies up to 3 years after transplant to matched participants in Pooled Resource Open-Access ALS Clinical Trials (PRO-ACT) and ceftriaxone datasets to provide required analyses to inform future clinical trial designs. Methods Survival, ALSFRS-R, and a composite statistic (ALS/SURV) combining survival and ALS Functional Rating Scale revised (ALSFRS-R) functional status were assessed for matched participant subsets: PRO-ACT n = 1108, Ph1/2 n = 21 and ceftriaxone n = 177, Ph1/2 n = 20. Results Survival did not differ significantly between cohorts: Ph1/2 median survival 4.7 years, 95% CI (1.2, ∞) versus PRO-ACT 2.3 years (1.9, 2.5), P = 1.0; Ph1/2 3.0 years (1.2, 5.6) versus ceftriaxone 2.3 years (1.8, 2.8), P = 0.88. Mean ALSFRS-R at 24 months significantly differed between Ph1/2 and both comparison cohorts (Ph1/2 30.1 ± 8.6 vs. PRO-ACT 24.0 ± 10.2, P = 0.048; Ph1/2 30.7 ± 8.8 vs. ceftriaxone 19.2 ± 9.5, P = 0.0023). Using ALS/SURV, median PRO-ACT and ceftriaxone participants died by 24 months, whereas median Ph1/2 participant ALSFRS-Rs were 23 (P = 0.0038) and 19 (P = 0.14) in PRO-ACT and ceftriaxone comparisons at 24 months, respectively, supporting improved functional outcomes in the Ph1/2 study. Interpretation Comparison of Ph1/2 studies to historical datasets revealed significantly improved survival and function using ALS/SURV versus PRO-ACT controls. While results are encouraging, comparison against historical populations demonstrate limitations in noncontrolled studies. These findings support continued evaluation of HSSC transplantation in ALS, support the benefit of control populations, and enable necessary power calculations to design a randomized, sham surgery-controlled efficacy study.

A human cortex-derived neural stem cell (NSC) line modified to express insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), HK532-IGF-I, is characterized in this report. The cell line is under study as a cellular therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). HK532-IGF-I cells preferentially differentiated into gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic neurons, a subtype dysregulated in AD; produced increased vascular endothelial growth factor levels; and displayed an increased neuroprotective capacity in vitro. HK532-IGF-I cells survived peri-hippocampal transplantation in a murine AD model and exhibited long-term persistence in targeted brain areas., Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disorder and a leading cause of dementia. Current treatment fails to modify underlying disease pathologies and very little progress has been made to develop effective drug treatments. Cellular therapies impact disease by multiple mechanisms, providing increased efficacy compared with traditional single-target approaches. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, we have shown that transplanted spinal neural stem cells (NSCs) integrate into the spinal cord, form synapses with the host, improve inflammation, and reduce disease-associated pathologies. Our current goal is to develop a similar “best in class” cellular therapy for AD. Here, we characterize a novel human cortex-derived NSC line modified to express insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), HK532-IGF-I. Because IGF-I promotes neurogenesis and synaptogenesis in vivo, this enhanced NSC line offers additional environmental enrichment, enhanced neuroprotection, and a multifaceted approach to treating complex AD pathologies. We show that autocrine IGF-I production does not impact the cell secretome or normal cellular functions, including proliferation, migration, or maintenance of progenitor status. However, HK532-IGF-I cells preferentially differentiate into gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic neurons, a subtype dysregulated in AD; produce increased vascular endothelial growth factor levels; and display an increased neuroprotective capacity in vitro. We also demonstrate that HK532-IGF-I cells survive peri-hippocampal transplantation in a murine AD model and exhibit long-term persistence in targeted brain areas. In conclusion, we believe that harnessing the benefits of cellular and IGF-I therapies together will provide the optimal therapeutic benefit to patients, and our findings support further preclinical development of HK532-IGF-I cells into a disease-modifying intervention for AD. Significance There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and no means of prevention. Current drug treatments temporarily slow dementia symptoms but ultimately fail to alter disease course. Given the prevalence of AD and an increasingly aging population, alternative therapeutic strategies are necessary. Cellular therapies impact disease by multiple mechanisms, providing increased efficacy compared with traditional, single-target drug discovery approaches. This study describes a novel enhanced human stem cell line that produces increased amounts of growth factors beneficial to the disease environment. Findings support further development into a potentially safe and clinically translatable cellular therapy for patients with AD.

An important component for successful translation of cell replacement-based therapies into clinical practice is the utilization of large animal models to conduct efficacy and/or safety cell dosing studies. Over the past few decades, several large animal models (dog, cat, nonhuman primate) were developed and employed in cell replacement studies; however, none of these models appears to provide a readily available platform to conduct effective and large-scale preclinical studies. In recent years, numerous pig models of neurodegenerative disorders were developed using both a transgenic approach as well as invasive surgical techniques. The pig model (naive noninjured animals) was recently used successfully to define the safety and optimal dosing of human spinal stem cells after grafting into the central nervous system (CNS) in immunosuppressed animals. The data from these studies were used in the design of a human clinical protocol used in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in a Phase I clinical trial. In addition, a highly inbred (complete major histocompatibility complex [MHC] match) strain of miniature pigs is available which permits the design of comparable MHC combinations between the donor cells and the graft recipient as used in human patients. Jointly, these studies show that the pig model can represent an effective large animal model to be used in preclinical cell replacement modeling. This review summarizes the available pig models of neurodegenerative disorders and the use of some of these models in cell replacement studies. The challenges and potential future directions in more effective use of the pig neurodegenerative models are also discussed. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:2784–2801, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An important component for successful translation of cell replacement-based therapies into clinical practice is the utilization of large animal models to conduct efficacy and/or safety cell dosing studies. Over the past few decades, several large animal models (dog, cat, nonhuman primate) were developed and employed in cell replacement studies; however, none of these models appears to provide a readily available platform to conduct effective and large-scale preclinical studies. In recent years, numerous pig models of neurodegenerative disorders were developed using both a transgenic approach as well as invasive surgical techniques. The pig model (naïve noninjured animals) was recently used successfully to define the safety and optimal dosing of human spinal stem cells after grafting into the central nervous system (CNS) in immunosuppressed animals. The data from these studies were used in the design of a human clinical protocol used in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in a Phase I clinical trial. In addition, a highly inbred (complete major histocompatibility complex [MHC] match) strain of miniature pigs is available which permits the design of comparable MHC combinations between the donor cells and the graft recipient as used in human patients. Jointly, these studies show that the pig model can represent an effective large animal model to be used in preclinical cell replacement modeling. This review summarizes the available pig models of neurodegenerative disorders and the use of some of these models in cell replacement studies. The challenges and potential future directions in more effective use of the pig neurodegenerative models are also discussed.

This paper addresses the problem of computing least-cost-path surfaces for massive grid-based terrains. Our approach follows a modular design, enabling the algorithm to make efficient use of memory, disk, and grid computing environments. We have implemented the algorithm in the context of the GRASS open source GIS system and---using our cluster management tool---in a distributed environment. We report experimental results demonstrating that the algorithm is not only of theoretical and conceptual interest but also performs well in practice. Our implementation outperforms standard solutions as dataset size increases relative to available memory and our distributed solver obtains near-linear speedup when preprocessing large terrains for multiple queries.