Neonatal host astrocyte migration into xenogeneic cerebral cortical grafts.

Migration of host astrocytes into grafts was investigated by transplantation of rat cortex (E16) into the cortex or midbrain of neonatal mice. Host astrocytes, visualized by the mouse astrocyte-specific antibody, began to invade the grafted cortex during the first week post-transplantation and sequentially migrated substantial distances throughout the graft. Host cells in the grafts which were undergoing immune rejection became hypertrophic. These results have important implications when assessing interactions between host and graft cells.