Change of fate comitment in adult neural progenitor cells subjected to chronic inflammation

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) have regenerative capabilities that are activated during inflammation. By measuring the global transcriptome and performing functional studies, we aimed at elucidating if and how NPCs from the non-germinal niche of the spinal cord differ from germinal niche NPCs, here represented by the subventricular zone (SVZ) NPCs. Moreover, we investigated how these cells are affected by chronic inflammation modeled by Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE). NPCs were isolated and propagated from the SVZ and cervical, thoracic and caudal regions of the spinal cord from healthy rats and rats subjected to EAE. Using Affymetrix microarray analyses, the global transcriptome was measured in the different NPC populations both in undifferentiated and differentiated cultures. These analyses were paralleled by differentiation studies and quantitative RT-PCR of differentiation-specific genes.

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Covacu R, Perez Estrada C, Arvidsson L, Svensson M, Brundin L