Monica M. Siegenthaler

TL;DR: To directly address cervical SCI, a C5 midline contusion injury model was used and the efficacy of a candidate therapeutic for thoracic SCI was assessed and human embryonic stem cell (hESC)‐derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) were transplanted into this cervical model.

TL;DR: The results indicate that transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells into the injured spinal cord is not associated with a decline in locomotor function, and highlights the importance of a demyelinating pathology as a prerequisite for the function of transplanted myelinogenic cells.

TL;DR: For the first time, myelin pathology differs substantially following contusion and transection SCI, as indicated by the lack of apoptosis and demyelination.

TL;DR: It is found that hMNPs secrete physiologically active growth factors in vivo, including NGF and NT-3, which significantly enhanced the number of spared endogenous neurons in all three animal models.

TL;DR: This work describes for the first time a method for producing hNPs in large quantity and high purity from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in feeder-free conditions, without the use of exogenous noggin, sonic hedgehog or analogs, rendering the process clinically compliant.