Mesenchymal stem cell-loaded hydrogel improves surgical treatment for chronic cerebral ischemia

Chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI) results in a prolonged insufficient blood supply to the brain tissue, leading to impaired neuronal function and subsequent impairment of cognitive and motor abilities. Our previous research showed that in mice with bilateral carotid artery stenosis, the collateral neovascularization post Encephalo-myo-synangiosis (EMS) treatment could be facilitated by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation. Considering the advantages of biomaterials, we synthesized and modified a gelatin hydrogel for MSCs encapsulation. We then applied this hydrogel on the brain surface during EMS operation in rats with CCI, and evaluated its impact on cognitive performance and collateral circulation. For the rats 7 days post EMS treatment, mRNA and miRNA sequencing were performed on the temporal lobe of the brain. For RNA sequencing of rats, the control group consisted of bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) rats treated with EMS, while the experimental group consisted of BCCAO rats transplanted with BMSC-loaded hydrogel during EMS treatment.Besides, mRNA sequencing was conducted on stable overexpressing miR-183 and miR-96 cell lines for comparison with NC.