Bone mesenchymal stem cells for gene transfer of NGF to the adult rat brain: Rescue the NGFR p75 positive neurons from fimbria–fornix lesion-induced degeneration

The study was to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of transplanted bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transfected never growth factor (NGF) gene and GFP gene (as a reporter gene), in treating the rat with fimbria–fornix lesion. After transduction of NGF gene via recombinant retroviral vectors into the rat BMSCs, BMSCs were therefore transformed into the GFP–NGF positive BMSCs, nearly 100% of BMSCs expressed NGF, and then transplanted into basal forebrain of rat with fimbria–fornix lesion. After 2 weeks post-transplantation, the GFP–NGF positive BMSCs survive and fuse in vivo with astroglia or NGFR p75 positive neurons in the basal forebrain, no evidence of transdifferentiation was observed in this study. The number of NGFR p75 positive neurons in basal forebrain of NGF group was significantly higher than those of the void plasmid group (p < 0.05) or the PBS group (p < 0.01). These results indicate that the GFP–NGF positive BMSCs provide, by way of paracrine, NGF that effectively perform the functions of neuroprotection, which cell fusion may be also contribute to.