Spinal Reflex Recovery after Dorsal Rhizotomy and Repair with Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Gel Combined with Bioengineered Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs)

Figure 7

Representative transmission electronic micrographs of the repaired root and spinal cord dorsal horn (superficial region), 8 weeks after dorsal rhizotomy (DRZ) and repair with PRP gel. The extent of the repaired root can be observed with a significant number of myelinated axons (blue arrow), blood vessels (red arrow), and many Schwann cells (purple arrow). The image also highlights the subtle boundary between PNS/CNS clearly delimited by the dorsal root transition zone (DREZ), which contains central and peripheral nervous tissue. Moreover, proximal to the DREZ, myelin sheaths formed by oligodendrocytes can be observed, while further from the DREZ, the sheaths are formed by Schwann cells and wrapped the endoneurium. Their presence on the spinal surface of the root repaired in these morphological and structural conditions is one of the requirements for functional recovery.