The combined strategy of mesenchymal stem cells and tissue‑engineered scaffolds for spinal cord injury regeneration (Review)

Spinal cord injury can result in the loss of motor or sensory neurons. Stem cell therapies promote neuronal regeneration following SCI, by releasing trophic factors or by differentiating into neurons or glial cells to replace damaged cells. Scaffolds support cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation in vivo by mimicking a favorable microenvironment. Combining engineered scaffolds with stem cells is a promising strategy for encouraging spinal cord regeneration. The review focuses on the regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells from different sources combined with various scaffold types in preclinical and clinical SCI studies.

• 1
  MSCs create a favorable microenvironment for neuronal regeneration by counteracting inflammation and apoptosis and promoting axonal regeneration through paracrine effects or differentiation into neurons or glial cells.
• 2
  MSCs from different sources conjugated with various scaffolds promote SCI regeneration and functional recovery by increasing MSC adhesion, migration, and survival, and by mimicking a more favorable microenvironment that stimulates endogenous repair.
• 3
  Composite scaffolds are proposed as promising devices because they minimize the disadvantages of single materials and synergize the advantages of two materials.