Am J Transl Res. 2016 Dec 15;8(12):5235-5245. eCollection 2016.

Transplantation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in cochlea to repair sensorineural hearing.

Ma Y¹, Guo W², Yi H³, Ren L², Zhao L², Zhang Y², Yuan S², Liu R², Xu L², Cong T², Ek O⁴, Zhai S², Yang S².

Abstract

To examine if transplantation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UMSC) into cochlea can be used to repair sensorineural hearing. Here we transplanted the fifth and sixth generations of UMSCs through the subarachnoid cavity of congenital deaf albino pigs. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured before and after UMSC transplantation. Cochlear samples were collected at 2 hrs, 3 days, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the proliferated cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The UMSCs were found in different regions of the cochlea, including the stria vascularis, the basal membrane and the spiral ganglions, 3 days to 4 weeks after the transplantation. UMSCs and their DNA were found also in the areas of the brain, the heart, the liver, the kidney and the lung. ABR tests displayed a new waveform in the congenital deaf albino pigs after the UMSCs transplantation. We conclude that human UMSCs injected into the subarachnoid space can migrate into the inner ear, the central nervous system and the periphery organs. The presence of UMSCs in the cochlea maybe associated with changes of ABR waveforms in the congenital deaf albino pigs.