Electrical Guidance of Human Stem Cells in the Rat Brain

• DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.05.035
• Publication Date: 2017-06-29T19:21:42Z
• Authors: Jun-Feng Feng; Jing Liu; Lei Zhang; Ji-Yao Jiang; Michael Russell; Bruce G. Lyeth; Jan A. Nolta; Min Zhao
• Keywords: Medicine (General); Regenerative Medicine; electrotaxis; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Electricity; Neural Stem Cells; Stem Cell Research - Nonembryonic - Human; galvanotaxis; Cell Movement; Biology (General); electric stimulation; neural stem cells; in vivo migration; 0303 health sciences; Brain; Equipment Design; Biological Sciences; electric field; Cell Tracking; Neurological; Stem Cell Research - Nonembryonic - Non-Human; Biotechnology; brain in vivo; 570; neuroblasts; directional cell migration; QH301-705.5; 1.1 Normal biological development and functioning; Neurogenesis; Clinical Sciences; Green Fluorescent Proteins; 610; Article; Cell Line; 03 medical and health sciences; in vivo migration; R5-920; Animals; Humans; Stem Cell Research - Embryonic - Human; Transplantation; 5.2 Cellular and gene therapies; Neurosciences; Stem Cell Research; Electric Stimulation; Brain Disorders; Rats; human neural stem cells; brain in vivo; Biochemistry and cell biology; Biochemistry and Cell Biology; Sprague-Dawley

Limited migration of neural stem cells in adult brain is a roadblock for the use of stem cell therapies to treat brain diseases and injuries. Here, we report a strategy that mobilizes and guides migration of stem cells in the brain in vivo. We developed a safe stimulation paradigm to deliver directional currents in the brain. Tracking cells expressing GFP demonstrated electrical mobilization and guidance of migration of human neural stem cells, even against co-existing intrinsic cues in the rostral migration stream. Transplanted cells were observed at 3 weeks and 4 months after stimulation in areas guided by the stimulation currents, and with indications of differentiation. Electrical stimulation thus may provide a potential approach to facilitate brain stem cell therapies.