The Potential for Cellular Therapy Combined with Growth Factors in Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in a range of symptoms, from pain to complete loss of motor and sensory functions. Current treatments are limited, with none able to facilitate neural regeneration or significant functional improvement. Research is focusing on various areas, including cellular therapies like Schwann cells and stem cells, growth factors, inhibitory molecules, and combination therapies. Combination therapies may be more effective than single treatments. This paper reviews promising new SCI research, particularly combination therapies that aim to create a neuroprotective environment, foster regeneration, and counter inhibitory factors after CNS injury.

• 1
  Combination therapies, involving neurotrophins and cell grafts, cotransplantation of different grafts, or anti-inhibitory therapies, show enhanced efficacy compared to individual treatments.
• 2
  Biomaterial scaffolding, when combined with neurotrophin administration, helps maintain adequate growth factor concentrations and establish appropriate concentration gradients for directed neural outgrowth.
• 3
  Anti-inhibitory therapies targeting molecules like NG2 and myelin-associated proteins (MAPs) can improve axonal regeneration, especially when combined with growth factors and/or cellular therapy.