Cell transplantation for spinal cord injury (SCI) has largely been studied in sub-acute settings within 1–2 weeks of injury. In contrast, here we transplanted skin-derived precursors differentiated into Schwann cells (SKP-SCs) into the contused rat spinal cord 8 weeks post-injury (wpi). Twenty-one weeks later (29 wpi), SKP-SCs were found to have survived transplantation, integrated with host tissue, and mitigated the formation of a dense glial scar. Furthermore, transplanted SKP-SCs filled much of the lesion sites and greatly enhanced the presence of endogenous SCs, which myelinated thousands of sprouting/spared host axons in and around the injury site. In addition, SKP-SC transplantation improved locomotor outcomes and decreased pathological thickening of bladder wall. To date, functional improvements have very rarely been observed with cell transplantation beyond the sub-acute stage of injury. Hence, these findings indicate that skin-derived SCs are a promising candidate cell type for the treatment of chronic SCI.

脊髓损伤（SCI）的细胞移植已在损伤后1-2周内的亚急性环境中进行了广泛研究。相反，在这里，我们将受伤后8周（wpi）分化为雪旺细胞（SKP-SCs）的皮肤来源前体移植到挫伤的大鼠脊髓中。21周后（29 wpi），发现SKP-SCs在移植后幸存下来，并与宿主组织整合，并减轻了密集的神经胶质瘢痕的形成。此外，移植的SKP-SCs充满了大部分病变部位，大大增强了内源性SCs的存在，内源性SCs使损伤部位及其周围的数千个发芽/稀疏的宿主轴突髓鞘化。此外，SKP-SC移植改善了运动结果并减少了膀胱壁的病理性增厚。至今，在损伤的亚急性阶段之后，很少有细胞移植能观察到功能改善。因此，这些发现表明，皮肤来源的SC是治疗慢性SCI的有希望的候选细胞类型。