Effects of Administration Routes on Migration and Distribution of Neural Progenitor Cells Transplanted Into Rats with Ischemia

Lian Li¹, Quan Jiang¹, Gaungliang Ding¹, Li Zhang¹, Zhenggang Zhang¹, Qingjiang Li¹, James R. Ewing¹, Michael Chopp^1,2

The effects of intra-arterial (IA), intracisternal (IC) and intravenous (IV) injection on migration and distribution of transplanted neural progenitor cells into rats with ischemia have been investigated using MRI. IA delivery results in earlier appearance, more uniform distribution and larger numbers of transplanted cells in the target brain than IC or IV delivery. However, high mortality with IA delivery poses a serious issue for protocol optimization. Stroke severity seems to be another important factor that mediates cell migration. Animals with smaller lesions (less than 10% of brain volume) may get fewer transplanted cells into the parenchyma.