IKVAV-linked cell membrane-spanning peptide treatment induces neuronal reactivation following spinal cord injury

Soheila Kazemi; Wendy Baltzer; Karl Schilke; Hadi Mansouri; John Enrique Mata

doi:10.4155/fso.15.81

IKVAV-linked cell membrane-spanning peptide treatment induces neuronal reactivation following spinal cord injury

Future Sci OA. 2015 Nov 1;1(4):FSO81. doi: 10.4155/fso.15.81. eCollection 2015 Nov.

Authors

Soheila Kazemi¹, Wendy Baltzer¹, Karl Schilke², Hadi Mansouri³, John Enrique Mata⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
² School of Chemical, Biological & Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; School of Chemical, Biological & Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
³ Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
⁴ Department of Basic Medical Science, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA; Department of Basic Medical Science, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA.

Abstract

Spinal cord regeneration following treatment with a novel membrane-spanning peptide (MSP) expressing the isoleucine-lysine-valine-alanine-valine (IKVAV) epitope was assessed in Balb-c mice. After hemilaminectomy and compression injury, mice were treated with IKVAV, IKVAV-MSP, peptide or vehicle control. Functional improvement was assessed using modified Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan Scale (mBBB) and spinal cord segments were studied histologically 28 days after injury. IKVAV-MSP group scores increased significantly compared with control groups after 4 weeks of observation (p < 0.05). The number of protoplasmic astrocytes, neurons and muscle bundle size in the IKVAV-MSP mice were significantly increased (p < 0.001; p < 0.05 and p < 0.007; respectively). This study demonstrates that it is possible to promote functional recovery after SCI using bioactive IKVAV presenting cell membrane-spanning peptides.

Keywords: IKVAV; membrane-spanning peptide; regeneration; spinal cord injury.