Adult spinal cord has little regenerative potential, thus
limiting patient recovery following injury. In this study, we
describe a new population of cells resident in the adult rat
spinal cord meninges that express the neural stem/precursor
markers nestin and doublecortin. Furthermore, from dissociated
meningeal tissue a neural stem cell population was cultured
in vitro and subsequently shown to differentiate into
functional neurons or mature oligodendrocytes. Proliferation
rate and number of nestin- and doublecortin-positive cells
increased in vivo in meninges following spinal cord injury.
By using a lentivirus-labeling approach, we show that meningeal
cells, including nestin- and doublecortin-positive cells,
migrate in the spinal cord parenchyma and contribute to the
glial scar formation. Our data emphasize the multiple roles
of meninges in the reaction of the parenchyma to trauma
and indicate for the first time that spinal cord meninges are
potential niches harboring stem/precursor cells that can be
activated by injury. Meninges may be considered as a new
source of adult stem/precursor cells to be further tested for
use in regenerative medicine applied to neurological disorders,
including repair from spinal cord injury
