Aims: we explored whether cellular fusion and heterokaryon formation between human and rodent cells in the cerebellum of mice occurs after intravenous injection of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The influence of central nervous system inflammation on this process was also assessed. In addition, we examined whether tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interferon (IFN)-gamma, factors associated with inflammation, increase cellular fusion between human MSCs and rodent cerebellar neurons in vitro.
Methods and results: human MSCs were intravenously injected into mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and control mice. After 22 days, mouse Purkinje cells expressing human Golgi Zone were found within the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum, indicating that fusion and heterokaryon formation had occurred. The numbers of heterokaryons in the cerebellum were markedly increased in mice with EAE compared with control mice. Rodent cerebellar neuronal cells labelled with enhanced green fluorescent proteinin vitro were co-cultured with human bone marrow-derived MSCs in the presence of TNF-alpha and/or IFN-gamma to determine their influence on fusion events. We found that fusion between MSCs and cerebellar neurons did occur in vitro and that the frequency of cellular fusion increased in the presence of TNF-alpha and/or IFN-gamma.
Conclusions: we believe that this is the first paper to define fusion and heterokaryon formation between human MSCs and rodent cerebellar neurons in vivo. We have also demonstrated that fusion between these cell populations occurs in vitro. These findings indicate that MSCs may be potential therapeutic agents for cerebellar diseases, and other neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders.