Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition producing great personal and societal costs and for which there is no effective treatment. Stem cell transplantation is a promising therapeutic strategy, though much preclinical and clinical research work remains. Here, we briefly describe SCI epidemiology, pathophysiology, and experimental and clinical stem cell strategies. Research in stem cell biology and cell reprogramming is rapidly advancing, with the hope of moving stem cell therapy closer to helping people with SCI. We examine issues important for clinical translation and provide a commentary on recent developments, including termination of the first human embryonic stem cell transplantation trial in human SCI.
Andrea J. Mothe, Charles H. Tator
Title and authors | Publication | Year |
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Human dental mesenchymal stem cells and neural regeneration
L Xiao, T Tsutsui |
Human Cell | 2013 |
Motoneuron intrinsic properties, but not their receptive fields, recover in chronic spinal injury
MD Johnson, E Kajtaz, CM Cain, CJ Heckman |
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience | 2013 |
Gene expression changes in the injured spinal cord following transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells or olfactory ensheathing cells
A Torres-Espín, J Hernández, X Navarro |
PloS one | 2013 |