Dynamic changes in BDNF, VEGF, and GDNF after transplanting human protein-based scaffolds with Wharton’s Jelly MSCs in a rat brain injury model

Abstract Stroke poses a considerable challenge for regenerative medicine due to the complex and multidimensional specificity of the central nervous system, and cell therapy is one of the currently considered treatments. The aim of this study was to determine the pro-regenerative outcome after transp...

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Main Authors: Wioletta Lech, Marta Kot, Marlena Welniak-Kaminska, Monika Drabik, Leonora Buzanska, Marzena Zychowicz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04269-w
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author Wioletta Lech
Marta Kot
Marlena Welniak-Kaminska
Monika Drabik
Leonora Buzanska
Marzena Zychowicz
author_facet Wioletta Lech
Marta Kot
Marlena Welniak-Kaminska
Monika Drabik
Leonora Buzanska
Marzena Zychowicz
author_sort Wioletta Lech
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Stroke poses a considerable challenge for regenerative medicine due to the complex and multidimensional specificity of the central nervous system, and cell therapy is one of the currently considered treatments. The aim of this study was to determine the pro-regenerative outcome after transplantation of preconditioned and scaffold-encapsulated mesenchymal stem/stromal cells isolated from Wharton’s Jelly (WJ-MSCs) in an experimental rat model of brain injury. For this purpose, WJ-MSCs cultured at different oxygen concentrations (21% O2 or 5% O2) were transplanted into the injured rat brain in saline or hydrogel scaffolds derived from human platelet lysate or fibrinogen. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we observed the signal of labelled WJ-MSCs at injection site at different time-points after transplantation. By diffusion-weighted imaging we detected the signal at the lesion site only after WJ-MSCs transplantation. Furthermore, cell transplantation resulted in a significant decrease in the extent of brain damage and dynamic change in the expression of investigated rat trophic factors (BDNF, GDNF, VEGF-A) in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. The highest increase in this expression was observed after transplantation of physioxia-preconditioned and scaffold-encapsulated cells. The results demonstrated the regenerative effect of WJ-MSCs, which was enhanced by their transplantation within human protein-based hydrogel scaffolds in the rat model of brain injury.
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spelling doaj-art-002c35b0c90a4da2acacc6a3fdd883db2025-08-20T03:03:24ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111810.1038/s41598-025-04269-wDynamic changes in BDNF, VEGF, and GDNF after transplanting human protein-based scaffolds with Wharton’s Jelly MSCs in a rat brain injury modelWioletta Lech0Marta Kot1Marlena Welniak-Kaminska2Monika Drabik3Leonora Buzanska4Marzena Zychowicz5Department of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of SciencesSmall Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of SciencesSmall Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of SciencesDepartment of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of SciencesAbstract Stroke poses a considerable challenge for regenerative medicine due to the complex and multidimensional specificity of the central nervous system, and cell therapy is one of the currently considered treatments. The aim of this study was to determine the pro-regenerative outcome after transplantation of preconditioned and scaffold-encapsulated mesenchymal stem/stromal cells isolated from Wharton’s Jelly (WJ-MSCs) in an experimental rat model of brain injury. For this purpose, WJ-MSCs cultured at different oxygen concentrations (21% O2 or 5% O2) were transplanted into the injured rat brain in saline or hydrogel scaffolds derived from human platelet lysate or fibrinogen. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we observed the signal of labelled WJ-MSCs at injection site at different time-points after transplantation. By diffusion-weighted imaging we detected the signal at the lesion site only after WJ-MSCs transplantation. Furthermore, cell transplantation resulted in a significant decrease in the extent of brain damage and dynamic change in the expression of investigated rat trophic factors (BDNF, GDNF, VEGF-A) in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. The highest increase in this expression was observed after transplantation of physioxia-preconditioned and scaffold-encapsulated cells. The results demonstrated the regenerative effect of WJ-MSCs, which was enhanced by their transplantation within human protein-based hydrogel scaffolds in the rat model of brain injury.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04269-w
spellingShingle Wioletta Lech
Marta Kot
Marlena Welniak-Kaminska
Monika Drabik
Leonora Buzanska
Marzena Zychowicz
Dynamic changes in BDNF, VEGF, and GDNF after transplanting human protein-based scaffolds with Wharton’s Jelly MSCs in a rat brain injury model
Scientific Reports
title Dynamic changes in BDNF, VEGF, and GDNF after transplanting human protein-based scaffolds with Wharton’s Jelly MSCs in a rat brain injury model
title_full Dynamic changes in BDNF, VEGF, and GDNF after transplanting human protein-based scaffolds with Wharton’s Jelly MSCs in a rat brain injury model
title_fullStr Dynamic changes in BDNF, VEGF, and GDNF after transplanting human protein-based scaffolds with Wharton’s Jelly MSCs in a rat brain injury model
title_full_unstemmed Dynamic changes in BDNF, VEGF, and GDNF after transplanting human protein-based scaffolds with Wharton’s Jelly MSCs in a rat brain injury model
title_short Dynamic changes in BDNF, VEGF, and GDNF after transplanting human protein-based scaffolds with Wharton’s Jelly MSCs in a rat brain injury model
title_sort dynamic changes in bdnf vegf and gdnf after transplanting human protein based scaffolds with wharton s jelly mscs in a rat brain injury model
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04269-w
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