Reversal of Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities in an Animal Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Following Systemic Administration of Dental Pulp Stem Cells and Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

INTRODUCTION: We aim to investigate whether timed systemic administration of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) or bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) with status epilepticus (SE) induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage could facilitate the CNS homing of DPSCs/BM-MSCs and mitigate neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric comorbidities in an animal model of Temporal Lobe epilepsy (TLE).

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairments, altered emotional responsiveness, depression, and anxiety are the common neuropsychiatric co-morbidities observed in TLE patients. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation has gained immense attention in treating TLE, as ~30% of patients do not respond to anti-epileptic drugs. While MSCs are known to cross the BBB, better CNS homing and therapeutic effects could be achieved when the systemic administration of MSC is timed with BBB damage following SE.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the present study are to investigate the effects of systemic administration of DPSCs/BM-MSCs timed with BBB damage on CNS homing of DPSCs/BM-MSCs, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric comorbidities in an animal model of TLE.

METHODOLOGY: We first assessed the BBB leakage following kainic acid-induced SE and timed the intravenous administration of DPSCs/BM-MSCs to understand the CNS homing/engraftment potential of DPSCs/BM-MSCs and their potential to mitigate neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric comorbidities.

RESULTS: Our results revealed that systemic administration of DPSCs/BM-MSCs attenuated neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, and ameliorated neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Three months following intravenous administration of DPSCs/BM-MSCs, we observed a negligible number of engrafted cells in the corpus callosum, sub-granular zone, and sub-ventricular zone.

CONCLUSION: Thus, it is evident that functional recovery is still achievable despite poor engraftment of MSCs into CNS following systemic administration.