Multiple transplants of hNT cells into the spinal cord of SOD1 mouse model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

hNT cells, derived from a human teratocarcinoma cell line, are versatile neuron‐like cells that have been studied as possible treatment vehicles for neurodegenerative diseases. Previously, we showed the postponement of motor deficit symptoms in a G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by transplanting hNT cells into the lumbar spinal cord. In this study, we examined the engraftment of hNT cells at multiple sites within the lumbar spinal cord by morphological analysis of neuritic process development. Results demonstrated that cells implanted at multiple sites established neuritic processes of different lengths independent of the number of cell implants. The hNT fiber outgrowth was a maximum of 0.15–0.3 mm from the transplants and mostly spread within the gray matter; interconnections between implants were not found. Therefore, we suggest that the observed postponement of motor deficit symptoms in G93A mice was not a result of neuritic outgrowth from the implanted hNT cells.

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