Cellule staminali mesenchimali: potenziali modulatori del sistema nervoso centrale

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) account for a small population of cells of the non-hematopoietic component of bone marrow. MSCs are multipotent stem cells endowed with neurotrophic potential combined to immunological properties, making them a promising therapeutic tool for neurodegenerative disorders. Although the mechanisms by which they act are still largely unknown, trans-differentiation, paracrine and autocrine actions have been hypothesized. Here we focus on the study of the effects exerted by rat MSCs on CNS neurons and oligodendrocytes by using a simplified in vitro co-culture system that precludes any direct contact between different cell types. The analysis of hippocampal synaptogenesis, synaptic vesicle recycling and electrical activity show that MSCs by themselves, efficiently support morphological and functional neuronal differentiation. Our observations demonstrate that MSCs selectively and directly increased hippocampal GABAergic presynapses and inhibitory transmission. In fact, this increment correlated to a higher expression of the potassium/chloride KCC2 cotransporter and to an enhancement of both the frequency and the amplitude of mIPSC and sIPSC. The decreased of GABA synapses following the treatment with a widely used Trk-neurotrophin receptor blocker, K252a, and the more specific TrkB receptor bodies prompt for the involvement of the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in mediating such effects. The involvement of this neurotrophin is also strengthened by test ELISA on the culture medium collected from MSC-neuron co-cultures in which an higher BDNF concentration was detected, when compared to astrocyte-neuron co-cultures. The results obtained indicate that MSC-secreted factors induce glial-dependent neuronal survival and directly trigger an augmented GABAergic transmission in hippocampal cultures, highlighting a new effect by which MSCs could cooperate in CNS repair. Additionally, MSCs have been described to improve the cl