Abstract #0834

Neural Precursor Migration Following Intracerebroventricular Delivery During the Chronic Phase of Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis Is Reduced as Compared to the Acute Phase

Naser Muja^1,2, Mikhal Cohen³, Jiangyang Zhang¹, Assaf A. Gilad^1,2, Piotr Walczak^1,2, Tamir Ben-Hur³, Jeff W.M. Bulte^1,2

¹Radiology, Divivsion of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; ²Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore , MD, USA; ³Department of Neurology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

Using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as a mouse model for multiple sclerosis, we used serial MR imaging of Feridex-labeled neural precursor cells (NPCs) to detect potential differences in the migratory response of ICV-transplanted NPCs between the acute inflammatory or the chronic demyelinated phase of the disease. We found that cell movements are determined by the phase of EAE, with a characteristic radial migration pattern of cells moving out from the ventricular spaces into and around blood vessels within the somatosensory cortex during the acute but not the chronic phase.