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Updated: Sep 15, 2026
Combining Peripheral Nerve Grafting and Matrix Modulation to Repair the Injured Rat Spinal Cord
Published on: November 20, 2009
Perineural co-administration of bone marrow-derived extracellular vesicle fractions and mononuclear cells via a
Yumin Song1, Il-Kwon Kim2, Rakib Miah3
1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, International St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University School of Medicine, Incheon, South Korea.
Background:
Neuropathic pain involves chronic neuroinflammation and resists conventional analgesics. Combining bone marrow-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) and mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) may provide complementary therapeutic benefits. We evaluated localized perineural co-delivery using a collagen hydrogel vehicle in rats.
New Method:
Rats with chronic constriction injury received perineural collagen hydrogels loaded with EV fractions, BMMNCs, or both. Mechanical hypersensitivity was tracked using von Frey filaments over 4 weeks. Nerve preservation and inflammatory markers were evaluated using descriptive histology and exploratory molecular assays (n = 1 per group).
Results:
Co-administration of EV fractions and BMMNCs significantly attenuated mechanical hypersensitivity compared with vehicle (P < 0.001), reaching Sham levels by week 4 while remaining comparable to EV monotherapy. Descriptive histology showed preserved axonal bundle alignment in representative combination samples. Exploratory molecular analyses suggested qualitative reductions in GFAP and TNF-alpha.
Comparison With Existing Methods:
Unlike rapid-clearance liquid injections, this approach provides localized perineural placement using a biocompatible collagen vehicle. However, direct efficacy comparisons against free suspensions were not evaluated and warrant future study.
Conclusions:
Perineural co-administration of EV fractions and BMMNCs via a collagen vehicle attenuated mechanical allodynia and preserved nerve morphology. Although functional recovery was comparable to EV monotherapy and molecular findings remain exploratory (n = 1), these preliminary proof-of-concept observations support the feasibility of localized combinatorial interventions for neuropathic pain.
