Priming with FGF2 stimulates human dental pulp cells to promote axonal regeneration and locomotor function recovery after spinal cord injury

Human dental pulp cells (DPCs), adherent cells derived from dental pulp tissues, are potential tools for cell transplantation therapy. However, little work has been done to optimize such transplantation. In this study, DPCs were treated with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) for 5–6 consecutive serial passages and were transplanted into the injury site immediately after complete transection of the rat spinal cord. FGF2 priming facilitated the DPCs to promote axonal regeneration and to improve locomotor function in the rat with spinal cord injury (SCI). Additional analyses revealed that FGF2 priming protected cultured DPCs from hydrogen-peroxide–induced cell death and increased the number of DPCs in the SCI rat spinal cord even 7 weeks after transplantation. The production of major neurotrophic factors was equivalent in FGF2-treated and untreated DPCs. These observations suggest that FGF2 priming might protect DPCs from the post-trauma microenvironment in which DPCs infiltrate and resident immune cells generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. Surviving DPCs could increase the availability of neurotrophic factors in the lesion site, thereby promoting axonal regeneration and locomotor function recovery.