Mesenchymal Stem Cells Overexpressing Il-13 Decrease Lesion Size and Demyelination after Spinal Cord Injury

Background: Trauma to the CNS leads to an influx of immune cells from the periphery (e.g. T cells and macrophages) and activation of resident microglia and astrocytes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to improve functional outcome after spinal cord injury (SCI), mainly by immunomodulation via the secretion of chemokines and cytokines. The cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13) is of special interest because we have recently shown that IL-13 induces neurite outgrowth in vitro and promotes functional recovery in a mouse model of SCI.