Figure 7. Grafted hiPSC-NS/PCs promote functional recovery after SCI.

(A-1) Original open field rating scale (maximum 30 points). Immediately after injury, the score decreased to approximately zero for both groups. By 12 weeks after injury, the score had increased to a plateau of ∼21 in the transplantation group and ∼13 in the vehicle control group. Data represent the mean ± SEM (n = 5 animals for the transplantation group and n = 4 for the control group, *p<0.05). (A-2, A-3) Open field locomotor rating scale for the upper limbs (maximum 20 points) and the lower limbs and trunk (maximum 10 points). Data represent the mean ± SEM (n = 5 for the transplantation group and 4 for the control group, *p<0.05). (B) Bar grip test showing the time course of recovery of bar grip strength in the transplantation and the control groups. Each value indicates the percentage of pre-injury bar grip strength. Bar grip strength recovered gradually, reaching a plateau of ∼57% versus ∼40% of the pre-injury value in the transplantation group and the control group, respectively, by 12 weeks after injury. Data represent the mean ± SEM (n = 5 for the transplantation group and n = 4 for the control group, *p<0.05, **p<0.01). (C) Cage climbing test. The average test score was zero for both groups immediately after injury. By 12 weeks after injury, the mean score of the animals in the transplantation group had improved to 4, whereas the mean score of the animals in the control group had improved to 2.8. Data represent the mean ± the SEM (n = 5 for the transplantation group and n = 4 for the control group, *p<0.05, **p<0.01).