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Updated: Sep 5, 2025
Experimental Strategies to Bridge Large Tissue Gaps in the Injured Spinal Cord after Acute and Chronic Lesion
Published on: April 5, 2016
Molecular approaches for spinal cord injury treatment
Fernanda Martins de Almeida1, Suelen Adriani Marques2, Anne Caroline Rodrigues Dos Santos2
1Laboratório de Neurodegeneração e Reparo, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Anatomia Patológica, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract:
Injuries to the spinal cord result in permanent disabilities that limit daily life activities. The main reasons for these poor outcomes are the limited regenerative capacity of central neurons and the inhibitory milieu that is established upon traumatic injuries. Despite decades of research, there is still no efficient treatment for spinal cord injury. Many strategies are tested in preclinical studies that focus on ameliorating the functional outcomes after spinal cord injury. Among these, molecular compounds are currently being used for neurological recovery, with promising results. These molecules target the axon collapsed growth cone, the inhibitory microenvironment, the survival of neurons and glial cells, and the re-establishment of lost connections. In this review we focused on molecules that are being used, either in preclinical or clinical studies, to treat spinal cord injuries, such as drugs, growth and neurotrophic factors, enzymes, and purines. The mechanisms of action of these molecules are discussed, considering traumatic spinal cord injury in rodents and humans.
