A Minimal Spinal Cord Injury Model to Study Neural Stem Cell Activation and Migration

Take an anesthetized mouse and shave its back.

Secure it in a stereotaxic device, with rolled gauze positioned to support the thoracic spine.

Disinfect the skin, make a vertical midline incision, and retract the skin.

Detach the muscle tendons from the thoracic spine and retract them.

Identify the target vertebra, then sever the intervertebral joints to remove it.

Expose the spinal cord and insert a bent needle on either side of the midline.

The needle insertion creates superficial injuries in the white matter, the outer spinal cord layer containing axon bundles, while leaving the central canal intact.

Remove the needle, then suture the muscles and skin.

Damaged cells release signals that activate tissue-resident immune cells, which in turn activate neural stem cells, or NSCs, surrounding the central canal.

Activated NSCs migrate to the injury site, aiding tissue repair.