The engraftment of transplanted bone marrow-derived cells into the inner ear.

To investigate whether bone marrow-derived cells (BMC) would migrate and engraft into the sensory epithelium of the inner ear, BMC of green fluorescence protein (GFP) mice were transplanted into lethally irradiated recipient mice. Then the recipient mice were treated with streptomycin and immunohistochemical staining was performed to evaluate the migration and engraftment of donor BMC into the sensory epithelium of the inner ear. Immunohistochemical staining for GFP was found initially in the vascular epithelium and oral mucosa but not in the sensory epithelium of the inner ear. In the case of mouse, BMC may not migrate and be engrafted into the sensory epithelium of the inner ear.