E-cadherin regulates biological behaviors of neural stem cells and promotes motor function recovery following spinal cord injury

Stem cell-based repair strategies for spinal cord injury (SCI) are a highly studied area of research. Multiple gene-modified stem cells have been transplanted into SCI models, in the hope of generating more neurons to repair a damaged nervous system. However, the results are not always successful, as the grafted cells may be unable to survive in the injured spinal cord. E-cadherin, a transmembrane adhesion protein, has been identified as an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition marker and is vital for morphological structure maintenance and the functional integrity of epithelial cells. At present, few studies have examined the association between E-cadherin and neural stem cells (NSCs). The present study investigated the expression of E-cadherin in subcultured NSCs and differentiated NSCs. Furthermore, the effect of E-cadherin on NSC viability, migration, differentiation and neurosphere formation was assessed. An in vivo study was used to assess the long-term survival of grafted NSCs. Additionally, the protective effect of E-cadherin on SCI was assessed by analyzing tissue repair, Basso Mouse Scale scores and the expression of inflammatory cytokines. The results of the present study suggested that E-cadherin was able to promote NSC viability and neurosphere formation; however, it had no significant effect on NSC differentiation. To conclude, grafted NSCs with highly expressed E-cadherin facilitated motor function recovery following SCI by reducing the release of inflammatory cytokines.