Cellular, molecular, and developmental neuroscience 871 Endogenous radial glial cells support regenerating axons after spinal cord transection Hiroshi Nomuraa, Howard Kimb, Andrea Mothea, Tasneem Zahirb, Iris Kulbatskia, Cindi M. Morsheadc, Molly S. Shoichetb and Charles H. Tatora During the development of central nervous system, radial NeuroReport 21:871–876 c 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health | glial cells support target-specific neuronal migration. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. We recently reported that after implantation of chitosan NeuroReport 2010, 21:871–876 channels with complete spinal cord transection, the tissue bridging the spinal cord stumps contained axons and radial Keywords: channel implantation, chitosan, radial glial cell, spinal cord injury, spinal cord transection glial cells. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of the radial glial cells in the tissue bridges. Chitosan aToronto Western Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, bDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry and cDepartment of Surgery and channels were implanted in rats with thoracic spinal Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Terrence Donnelly Centre for cord transection. After 14 weeks, all animals had tissue Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada bridges in the channels that contained many radial glial Correspondence to Charles H. Tator, MD, PhD, Toronto Western Research cells in longitudinal arrangement, some of which were Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Room 12-423, McLaughlin Wing, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada in contact with axons in the bridges. We suggest that Tel: + 1 416 603 5889; fax: + 1 416 603 5298; e-mail:
[email protected] radial glial cells can guide regenerating axons across Received 25 May 2010 accepted 25 June 2010 the bridge in the channel after spinal cord transection.