Rewiring the spinal cord: direct and indirect strategies

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in the loss of sensory, motor, and autonomic functions. Current treatments offer limited relief from neurological deficits. The lack of functional improvement is largely due to the failure of long-distance regeneration of severed axons in the spinal cord. Strategies to rewire the spinal cord include encouraging regeneration of damaged fibers, establishing new connections by sprouting axons, and implanting new cells at the lesion site to establish novel circuits.

• 1
  Axonal regeneration and sprouting can be enhanced by neutralizing myelin- and extracellular matrix-associated inhibitors.
• 2
  Transplanted neural stem cells (NSCs) can differentiate into neurons and glial cells, forming an intermediate station between the rostral and caudal segments of the spinal cord.
• 3
  NSC-derived neurons can extend long-distance axons to regain the transmission of motor and sensory information.