Repair of the Injured Spinal Cord by Schwann Cell Transplantation

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in sensorimotor impairments or disability. Cell transplantation is becoming a highly promising approach due to the cells’ capacity to provide multiple benefits at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels. Transplantation of SCs promotes functional recovery in animal models and is safe for use in humans with subacute SCI. The rationales for the therapeutic use of SCs for SCI include enhancement of axon regeneration, remyelination of newborn or sparing axons, regulation of the inflammatory response, and maintenance of the survival of damaged tissue. This review summarizes the recent advances in SC transplantation for SCI, and highlight proposed mechanisms and challenges of SC-mediated therapy. The sparse information available on SC clinical application in patients with SCI is also discussed.

• 1
  SCs enhance axon regeneration through secretion of neurotrophic factors (NGF, BDNF, CNTF, and NT-3) and expression of adhesion molecules (L1 and NCAM) and ECM components (laminin, fibronectin, and collagen).
• 2
  SC transplantation can attenuate glial scar formation, which is generally thought to be a major block for axonal regeneration.
• 3
  Transplanted SCs aim to replace lost oligodendrocytes incurred by SCI, to boost the remyelination of remaining axons in spared white matter and to promote the recovery of electrical impulse conduction.