Affiliations: [a]
Université de Poitiers, INSERM U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques (LNEC), Poitiers, France
| [b] Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology (DSST-PRASE), Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
| [c] CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Laetitia Prestoz, Université de Poitiers, INSERM U-1084, University of Poitiers UFR SFA Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory Building B36/B37, 1, Rue Georges Bonnet TSA 51106, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9 – France. Tel.: +33 5 49 36 62 13; Fax: +33 5 49 45 40 14; E-mail: laetitia.prestoz@univ-poitiers.fr.
Note: [1] Current address: Université de Poitiers, UMR-CNRS 7267, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions (EBI), F-86073 Poitiers, France.
Abstract: Background: Cell therapy is a promising approach for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Others and we have previously shown that transplantation of ventral mesencephalic fetal cells into substantia nigra (SN) in an animal model of PD enables anatomical and functional repair of the degenerated pathway. However, the molecular basis of this repair is still largely unknown. Objective: In this work, we studied the expression of several axon guidance molecules that may be implicated in the repair of the degenerated nigrostriatal pathway. Methods: The expression of axon guidance molecules was analyzed using qRT-PCR on five specific regions surrounding the nigrostriatal pathway (ventral mesencephalon (VM), thalamus (Thal), medial forebrain bundle (MFB), nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and caudate putamen (CPu)), one and seven days after lesion and transplantation. Results: We showed that mRNA expression of specific axon guidance molecules and their receptors is modified in structures surrounding the nigrostriatal pathway, suggesting their involvement in the axon guidance of grafted neurons. Moreover, we highlight a possible new role for semaphorin 7A in this repair. Conclusion: Overall, our data provide a reliable basis to understand how axons of grafted neurons are able to navigate towards their targets and interact with the molecular environment in the adult brain. This should help to improve the efficiency of cell replacement approaches in PD.
