Characterization of a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Mouse Model

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a condition mainly resulting from traumatic injuries caused by falls, or (road traffic) accidents. Currently, many novel therapeutics ranging from small molecules, (stem) cell transplants to medical devices are evaluated for their efficacy in improving SCI outcomes. To help evaluate the efficacy of such therapeutics, InnoSer now offers research services using a clinically relevant spinal cord injury (SCI) mouse model (Figure 1).  

FIGURE 1. Spinal cord damage is induced by T-cut hemisection combined with partial laminectomy at thoracic level eight (T8), transecting the dorso-medial and ventral corticospinal tracts, impairing other descending and ascending tracts. InnoSer’s hemisection SCI mouse model is characterized by severe and complete hind limb paralysis after the acute mechanical injury. Secondary SCI occurs due to inflammation caused by excessive immune response triggered by the injury, allowing you to investigate potential treatment strategies that mitigate further spinal cord damage.   

FIGURE 2. Gross locomotor changes assessed by Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) locomotor scale. T-cut hemisection in wild-type C57BL7/J mice leads to complete hind limb paralysis recorded using the BMS that gradually improves over time. BMS is a 10-point certified scale that ranges from zero to nine, indicating complete hind limb paralysis to normal locomotion, respectively. The present study investigated whether the depletion of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) substrate, L-arginine, improves SCI outcomes. L-arginine depletion is accomplished by treatment with recombinant Arginase-1 (rArg-I). Compared to vehicle-treated mice, mice treated with recombinant Arginase-1 show improved functional recovery at the end of the 28-day observation period.  Figure taken with permission from Erens et al. 2022. 

FIGURE 3. The hemisection SCI model is characterized by extensive and progressive neuroinflammation. (A) Compared to vehicle-treated mice; mice treated with recombinant Arginase-1 show a similar level of astrogliosis. (B) Microglial/Macrophage infiltration and activation are evaluated via intensity analysis of Iba-1 fluorescent images in the perilesional area of the lesion site.  Figure taken with permission from Erens et al. 2022. 

FIGURE 4. The hemisection SCI model is characterized by inflammatory cell activation and infiltration of peripheral immune cells. Compared to vehicle-treated mice, mice treated recombinant Arginase-1 show significant decrease in the number of infiltrating CD4+ T cells at 28-days post SCI induction.  Figure taken with permission from Erens et al. 2022.

Interested in performing an efficacy study using a SCI mouse model? InnoSer’s experienced spinal cord injury team is capable of running efficacy studies in different spinal cord injury (SCI) mouse models such as contusion SCI models and laceration SCI mouse models. Contact us for more information by submitting your request via this webpage.