Fig 1: Functional scaffold implantation remodels the distal lumbar microenvironment.a Dot plot showing the gene expression of growth factors in cells of the distal lumbar. The size of the dots represents the percent of cells expressing each gene, while the color depicts the scaled average expression. b UMAP plots depicting the oligodendrocyte subsets in the distal lumbar after SCI without or with scaffold implantation at six months. c Heatmap showing the expression of myelination genes in oligodendrocytes after SCI without or with scaffold implantation. The color bar is scaled with the average gene expression. d UMAP plots showing the microglia subsets in the lumbar after SCI without or with scaffold implantation and gene expression for homeostatic, DAMLM, and inflammatory microglia. e The proportion of microglia subsets after SCI with and without scaffold implantation at six months. The red frame indicating inflammatory microglia. f Electron micrographs showing the myelin sheath in the lumbar tissue six months after SCI without and with scaffold implantation. Scale bar, 2 µm. g Immunostaining shows the decreased expression of TNF-a in the distal lumbar tissues after scaffold implantation. Scale bar, 100 µm. h Quantitative analysis showing the mean fluorescence area of TNF-a positive signal in the same visual fields of distal lumbar tissues. Data are shown as mean ± SEM, n = 6 slices per group. *P = 0.0318, two-sided Student’s t test. i Heatmap showing the expression of genes about phagocytosis and lipid metabolism in DAMLM six months after SCI and scaffold implantation. The color bar is scaled with the average expression of the corresponding genes. j Immunostaining of GPNMB and lipid droplets (LD) labeled with BODIPY in the lateral CST area of the distal lumbar tissues six months after SCI and scaffold implantation. Scale bar, 100 µm. k Quantitative analysis showing the mean fluorescence intensity of GPNMB in the same visual fields and the mean area of lipid droplets per cell in the distal lumbar. Data are shown as mean ± SEM, n = 5 slices per group. ***P < 0.0001, two-sided Student’s t test. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
Fig 2: SCI massively activates microglia into DAM-like microglia (DAMLM) characterized by lipid metabolism and phagocytosis.a UMAP plot depicting the heterogeneous clusters of microglia, monocytes, and macrophages in the intact and injured rhesus monkey spinal cord. DAM, disease-associated microglia. b Split UMAP plots showing the regional distribution of cell subsets at distinct time points after SCI. c Differentially expressed genes among microglia and macrophage subsets. The size of the dot indicates the percentage of cells in which that gene is detected and the color bar is scaled with the average expression of the corresponding genes. d Dynamic changes in the proportion of microglia subsets among microglia in different regions after injury. e Differential gene expression analysis between DAMLM and homeostatic microglia. Red dots and blue dots indicate the signature genes of DAMLM and homeostatic microglia, respectively. f GO enrichment analysis of the highly expressed genes in DAMLM compared with homeostatic microglia. P values (adjusted) were calculated using Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR). g Dot plots showing dynamic expression of genes for lipid transport and phagocytosis enriched in corresponding GO terms in DAMLM from SA and SL at 7 dpi and 30 dpi. The size of the dot indicates the percentage of cells in which that gene is detected and the color bar is scaled with the average expression of the corresponding genes. h Immunostaining of GPNMB (DAMLM marker) and AIF1 (microglia marker) in rhesus monkey lumbar spinal cord at 6 months post injury (left). The areas of CST are shown at high magnification (right). FG fasciculus gracilis, CST corticospinal tract, Scale bars: 1 mm in the left panels and 50 µm in the right panels. i Immunostaining of AIF1 and Tuj-1 in the FG and CST areas of the rhesus monkey lumbar spinal cord at 7 days after SCI. Scale bars, 50 µm. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
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