Contrasting Experimental Rodent Aftercare With Human Clinical Treatment for Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: Bridging the Translational ‘‘Valley of Death’’

This review compares how cervical spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are treated in humans versus in rodent models, specifically mice and rats. The authors focus on identifying differences in aftercare protocols that may contribute to the failure of promising pre-clinical therapies when tested in clinical settings. The central argument is that variations in veterinary care for post-SCI animals and differences between veterinary protocols and standard clinical care for human SCI patients might affect the reproducibility of research findings and the successful translation of therapies from animal models to clinical applications. The authors suggest specific modifications to pre-clinical aftercare protocols, particularly concerning analgesia, anticoagulative measures, and stress ulcer prophylaxis, to enhance the success of therapeutic translation from the bench to the bedside.

• 1
  Significant differences exist between clinical care for human SCI patients and veterinary care for experimental animals, particularly in analgesia, anticoagulation, and stress ulcer prophylaxis.
• 2
  Veterinary aftercare standards are primarily designed for efficient and cost-effective prevention of surgical complications in animals, rather than replicating clinical care for humans.
• 3
  There is substantial heterogeneity in animal care protocols among different research laboratories, potentially influencing the outcomes of pre-clinical studies.