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Updated: May 1, 2026
Stem Cell Transplantation Strategies for the Restoration of Cognitive Dysfunction Caused by Cranial Radiotherapy
Published on: October 18, 2011
Glatiramer acetate reverses cognitive deficits from cranial-irradiated rat by inducing hippocampal neurogenesis
Fen He1, Jun-Tao Zou2, Qiong-Fang Zhou3
1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China; Department of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Patients received cranial-irradiation can be affected with cognitive deficits and decreasing hippocampal neurogenesis. In this work, we characterized the cognitive ability and immune-induced neurogenesis of the pre- and post-treated cranial-irradiated rats with Glatiramer acetate (GA), known as a weak CNS auto-antigen. The GA-treated rats displayed better cognitive abilities in Morris water maze (MWM). The numbers of Iba-I-positive microglia, BrdU(+)/DCX(+) cells and BrdU(+)/NeuN(+) cells in hippocampus increased, which are accompanied with increased IFN-γ and decreased IL-6, IL-4. Furthermore, GA reverted the Th1/Th2 balance. GA treatment can reverse the cognitive deficits caused by cranial irradiation through a mechanism that likely involves immunomodulation.
