Figure 3From: Human marrow stromal cells reduce microglial activation to protect motor neurons in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosisInhibition of microglial activation by human marrow stromal cell treatment in SOD1 transgenic mice. Activation of microglia were detected by CD11b immunoreactivity in the spinal cord ventral gray of wild-type mice (A), PBS-treated transgenic mice (B), and human marrow stromal cell (hMSC)-treated transgenic mice (C) at the age of 15 weeks at 400× magnification. Higher-magnification images are shown in the insert for resting microglia (A) and activated microglia (B). Quantitative cell counts of CD11b-positive microglia in the ventral gray of mice at 11 weeks of age (D) and 15 weeks of age (E). Intrathecally injected hMSCs significantly suppressed microglial activation in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) transgenic mice (*P <0.01 versus PBS alone).Back to article page