Targeted inhibition of STAT3 in neural stem cells promotes neuronal differentiation and functional recovery in rats with spinal cord injury

This study investigates the role of STAT3, a protein involved in cell signaling, in neural stem cells (NSCs) after spinal cord injury (SCI). The researchers found that inhibiting STAT3 in NSCs promotes their differentiation into neurons rather than glial cells. The researchers transplanted NSCs with inhibited STAT3 into rats with SCI. The results showed improved functional recovery and tissue repair in the rats that received the modified NSCs. The findings suggest that using NSCs with STAT3 knocked down could enhance regenerative cell therapy for SCI, offering a potential new approach to treatment.

• 1
  Knocking down STAT3 expression in rat NSCs promoted their neuronal differentiation in vitro, and upregulated the activity of mTOR.
• 2
  Transplantation with NSCs transfected with STAT3-RNA enhanced functional recovery following SCI and promoted tissue repair in rats.
• 3
  Inhibition of STAT3 could promote NSC neuronal differentiation.