Transplantation of Human Meningioma Stem Cells Loaded on a Self-Assembling Peptide Nanoscaffold Containing IKVAV Improves Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats

The insufficient regenerative ability of the central nervous system has been found to induce a serious brain functional and structural impairment following traumatic brain injury (TBI). This experiment was aimed to investigate the effect of transplantation of the humanmeningioma stem-like cells (hMgSCs) seeded in a threedimensional scaffold (RADA4GGSIKVAV; R-GSIK) on the brain functional recovery and neuro-inflammatory responses following TBI in rats. After induction of TBI, the hMgSCs seeded in R-GSIK were transplanted within the injury site and the effects were compared to control groups. Co-administration of hMgSCs with R-GSIK led to a remarkable functional recovery after TBI. It was demonstrated that the transplantation of hMgSCs with R-GSIK scaffold considerably enhanced the number of hMgSCs observed in the brain; while significantly decreased the lesion volume, reactive gliosis, and apoptosis at the injury site in comparisonto control groups. Additionally, the expression of Tolllike receptor 4 and its downstream signaling molecules was interestingly inhibited in hMgSC/R-GSIK treated animals. According to the results, it can be inferred that the treatment with hMgSCs seeded in R-GSIK promotesthe brain functional recovery after TBI, potentially through the amelioration of inflammatory responses