The roles of neural stem cells in myelin regeneration and repair therapy after spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex tissue injury that results in a wide range of physical deficits, including permanent or progressive disabilities of sensory, motor and autonomic functions. Neural stem cells (NSCs) possess the ability to self-renew and differentiate into neurons and neuroglia, including oligodendrocytes, which are cells responsible for the formation and maintenance of the myelin sheath and the regeneration of demyelinated axons. This review aims to highlight the pathophysiology of SCI and promote the understanding of the role of NSCs in SCI repair therapy and the current advances in pathological mechanism, pre-clinical studies, as well as clinical trials of SCI via NSC transplantation therapeutic strategy.

• 1
  NSCs represent a promising regenerative strategy for SCI treatment due to their ability to differentiate into neurons and glial cells, of which, oligodendrocytes play a crucial role in myelin regeneration, demyelination repair and neural circuit reconstruction.
• 2
  Over the past decades, many preclinical studies have shown the improved motor and neural function following successful NSC transplantation in animal models of SCI.
• 3
  And several clinical trials tested the efficacy and safety of NSC transplantation in patients, with delightful results.