Bone Marrow-Derived Cells that Populate the Adult Mouse Brain Preserve Their Hematopoietic Identity

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.23-12-05197.2003
• Publication Date: 2018-04-13T22:30:28Z
• Authors: Luc Vallières; Paul E. Sawchenko
• Keywords: Parenchyma

Cytogenesis in the adult brain can result from recruitment of circulating precursors, but proposal that some such cells transdifferentiate into neural elements is controversial. We have reinvestigated this issue by following phenotypic fate bone marrow expressing green fluorescent protein transplanted systemic circulation irradiated mice. Thousands donor-derived were detected throughout brains recipients killed 1-12 months after transplantation, none displayed neuronal, macroglial, or endothelial characteristics, even injury. Among those crossed endothelium cerebral cortex, >99.7% identified as perivascular macrophages. Newly formed parenchymal microglia found significant numbers only cerebellum and at injury sites. Therefore, does supply mature with new specialized cells; however, mesenchymal precursors neither adopt phenotypes nor contribute to vascular remodeling. This continuous traffic macrophages across blood-brain barrier provides a vehicle introduce therapeutic genes nervous system.