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| Author(s): |
Eder Zucconi
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) |
| Defense date: | 2009-09-03 |
| Examining board members: |
Mayana Zatz;
Luciana Amaral Haddad;
Jose Eduardo Krieger;
Mariz Vainzof;
Marco Antonio Zago
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| Advisor: | Mayana Zatz |
| Abstract | |
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most frequent and severe form of muscular dystrophy. It is an X-linked recessive disorder caused by complete absence of dystrophin in muscle fibers. DMD affects 1/3.000 living boys, with loss of independent ambulation occurring at approximately 12 years old. Without any special care, affected boys rarely survive beyond the third decade of life. Currently there is no treatment available for these patients, thus, the main purpose of these study is to understand the therapeutic contribution of umbilical cord stem cells aiming muscular regeneration. To perform our investigation we chose Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy (GRMD) dogs, since it is a large animal model of DMD with clinical signs closely mimicking those observed in humans. Here we showed that hematopoietic cells from umbilical cord blood failed to restore dystrophin expression at clinically relevant levels in GRMD dogs. Due to these results, we continued our studies with human and canine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical cord, which were immunophenotyped and had their multipotent plasticity demonstrated in vitro. Using GRMD dogs we also showed that human and canine MSCs from umbilical cord were able to engraft in muscle fibers but were not sufficient to restore dystrophin expression at clinically relevant levels In vivo. Finally, we described an exceptional GRMD dog, Ringo, that besides the complete absence of dystrophin in his muscle fibers is showing a very mild phenotype. In conclusion, umbilical cord stem cells transplantation may not be a promising source for skeletal muscle regeneration In vivo, but further studies must take place in order to improve stem cell delivery to skeletal muscle. (AU) | |