Human platelet-rich plasma promotes axon growth in brain-spinal cord coculture
Michiko Takeuchi1, Naosuke Kamei, Rikuo Shinomiya
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. d102018@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Insights
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) promotes spinal cord axon growth, primarily via insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in PRP appears to inhibit this regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Central nervous system (CNS) injuries, like spinal cord injury, have limited regenerative capacity.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a blood product rich in growth factors implicated in tissue repair.
- The specific effects of PRP on spinal cord regeneration remain largely uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of PRP to enhance axonal growth in spinal cord tissue.
- To identify specific growth factors within PRP that mediate axon growth regulation after CNS injury.
Main Methods:
- A rat organotypic coculture system was utilized to model spinal cord injury.
- Human PRP was added to cocultures, with and without neutralizing antibodies against key growth factors (PDGF-AB, TGF-β1, IGF-1, VEGF).
- Axon growth was quantified using anterograde tracing (DiI staining) from the brain cortex into the spinal cord explants.
Main Results:
- PRP addition significantly promoted axonal growth into the spinal cord explants.
- Neutralizing antibodies against IGF-1 and VEGF suppressed the pro-regenerative effects of PRP.
- Conversely, blocking TGF-β1 enhanced axon growth, suggesting an inhibitory role for this factor in PRP.
Conclusions:
- PRP demonstrates a capacity to promote axonal regeneration in the context of spinal cord injury.
- IGF-1 and VEGF are key mediators of PRP-induced axonal growth.
- TGF-β1 present in PRP may exert inhibitory effects on axon regeneration, warranting further investigation.
Abstract:
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains several growth factors, including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), that are associated with repair processes after central nervous system injury. Although PRP have been applied to some regenerative therapies, the regeneration effects of PRP on spinal cord injury have not been reported. This study applied a rat organ coculture system to examine the ability of PRP to enhance axonal growth in spinal cord tissues and to identify the growth factors in PRP that contribute to the regulation of axon growth. PRP from human peripheral blood was added to organ cocultures. Furthermore, neutralizing antibodies against PDGF-AB, TGF-β1, IGF-1, or VEGF were added to the cocultures with PRP. Axon growth from the brain cortex into the spinal cord was assessed quantitatively using anterograde axon tracing with DiI. Addition of PRP to the cocultures promoted axon growth, and the axon growth was significantly suppressed by the addition of neutralizing antibodies against IGF-1 and VEGF, but not PDGF-AB. In contrast, axon growth was promoted significantly by the addition of neutralizing antibodies against TGF-β1. These findings indicate that PRP promotes axon growth in spinal cord tissues through mechanisms associated with IGF-1 and VEGF, and that TGF-β1 in PRP exerts negative effects on axon growth.
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