Neurosurgery concepts: Key perspectives on dendritic cell vaccines, metastatic tumor treatment, and radiosurgery

BACKGROUND This is a laboratory study to investigate the effect of adding brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in a poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-g-poly (ethylene glycol) scaffold and its effect on spinal cord injury in a rat model. METHODS This is a laboratory investigation of a spinal cord injury in a rat model. A dorsolateral funiculotomy was used to disrupt the dorsolateral funiculus and rubrospinal tract. Animals were then injected with either the scaffold polymer or scaffold polymer with BDNF. Postoperatively, motor functions were assessed with single pellet reach to grasp task, stair case reaching task and cylinder task. Histological study was also performed to look at extent of glial scar and axonal growth. RESULTS Animals received BDNF containing polymer had an increased recovery rate of fine motor function of forelimb, as assessed by stair case reaching task and single pellet reach to grasp task compared with control animals that received the polymer only. There is no significant difference in the glial scar formation. BDNF treated animals also had increased axon growth including increase in the number and length of the rubrospinal tract axons. CONCLUSION BDNF delivered via a scaffold polymer results in increased recovery rate in forelimb motor function in an experimental model of spinal cord injury, possibly through a promotion of growth of axons of the rubrospinal tract.