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To be or not to be accepted: the role of immunogenicity of neural stem cells following transplantation into the brain in animal and human studies

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Abstract

Grafting of neural stem cells into the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) has been performed for some decades now, both in basic research and clinical applications for neurological disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, stroke, and spinal cord injuries. Albeit the “proof of principle” status that neural grafts can reinstate functional deficits and rebuild damaged neuronal circuitries, many critical scientific questions are still open. Among them are the manifold immunological aspects that are encountered during the graft–host interaction in vivo. For example, the experience with allografted cells in absence of immunosuppressant drugs has raised serious doubts about an immunological privileged site within the CNS as compared to other engraftment sites in the body. This review discusses recent experimental and clinical findings demonstrating that neural stem cells have unique characteristics that help them modulate the host immunological defense, but, under some conditions, may still trigger a rejection process. Implications of these findings on neural grafting and potential new therapeutic applications are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme—HEALTH—Collaborative Project Transeuro (contract no. 242003), the German Parkinson Foundation (dPV), and the Weber-Petri-Foundation.

The clinical trial in HD patients that is mentioned in this paper was designed in the framework of the MIG-HD trial with the logistic and expertise support of the PI and the coordination centre of the MIG-HD trial. Patients randomisation was performed at Henri Mondor Hospital at Créteil. The MIG-HD trial is granted through two PHRC AOM00139 and AOM 04021 from the DRCD (Assistance publique- Hôpitaux de Paris, Minsitère de la Santé) and the support of the AFM. The coordination centre of MIG-HD involves AC Bachoud-Lévi (Principal Investigator), S. Palfi , P. Remy, M. Peschanski, P. Hantraye, JP Lefaucheur, D. Challine, P. Maison. CROs were: Amandine Rialland, D. Schmitz, Data manager G. Dolbeau, The Sites PI are : AC Bachoud-Lévi, Palfi S, ( Créteil), P. Krystkowiak, S. Blond, (Lille), JF Démonet , J-C Sol (Toulouse), C. Verny P. Menei (Angers), P. Damier, Y Lajat (Nantes); F. Supiot M. Levivier (Bruxelles).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Neurosurgery, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Neurocenter, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Philipp Capetian, Máté Döbrössy & Guido Nikkhah

  2. Department of Neurology, Neurocenter, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Philipp Capetian & Christian Winkler

  3. Department of Neuropathology, Neurocenter, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Marco Prinz

Authors
  1. Philipp Capetian
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  2. Máté Döbrössy
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  3. Christian Winkler
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  4. Marco Prinz
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  5. Guido Nikkhah
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guido Nikkhah.

Additional information

This article is published as part of the Special Issue on Immunopathology of Pluripotent Stem Cell Transplantation [33:6].

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Capetian, P., Döbrössy, M., Winkler, C. et al. To be or not to be accepted: the role of immunogenicity of neural stem cells following transplantation into the brain in animal and human studies. Semin Immunopathol 33, 619–626 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-011-0272-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-011-0272-x

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