Review
Neurosciences
Claudio Pizzolato, Mehmet A. Gunduz, Dinesh Palipana, Jingnan Wu, Gary Grant, Susan Hall, Rachel Dennison, Ross D. Zafonte, David G. Lloyd, Yang D. Teng
Summary: This interdisciplinary narrative review discusses efficacious non-invasive therapies for chronic spinal cord injuries, focusing on pharmacological treatments and neuromechanical devices. It highlights the potential of neuromechanical devices to induce neuroplasticity-based neural pattern generation. Future research should concentrate on personalizing combination therapies for optimizing rehabilitation outcomes.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhenshan Lv, Chao Dong, Tianjiao Zhang, Shaokun Zhang
Summary: Traffic accidents and falling objects are the main causes of spinal cord injuries (SCIs), seriously affecting the lives and quality of life of patients. Hydrogels, with their biocompatibility and adjustability, serve as structural scaffolds and slow-release carriers in neural tissue engineering, promoting tissue repair. This review discusses the characteristics and advantages of hydrogels as delivery vehicles in SCI therapy and explores their prospects in clinical research for the treatment of SCI.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Ciara M. Walsh, Jacek K. Wychowaniec, Louise Costello, Dermot F. Brougham, Dearbhaile Dooley
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition without effective treatment options. Immunomodulation, using locally injected hydrogels carrying immunotherapeutic cargo, shows promise as a potential therapeutic strategy for SCI. Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels are a promising candidate, but their immunogenicity in the SCI microenvironment has not been fully studied yet. This study analyzes the immunogenicity of GelMA hydrogels formulated with a relevant photoinitiator, both in vitro and ex vivo.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ciara M. Walsh, Khadija Gull, Dearbhaile Dooley
Summary: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) has a significant impact on motor, sensory and autonomic function in patients. Despite the lack of a curative therapy, modulation of the inflammatory response through motor rehabilitation can improve recovery in SCI models. This review discusses the effect of motor rehabilitation on inflammatory mediators in both preclinical and human SCI studies and highlights the potential of using motor rehabilitation as an immunomodulatory therapy to improve patient outcome after SCI.
CYTOKINE & GROWTH FACTOR REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
D. Silva, R. A. Sousa, A. J. Salgado
Summary: Hydrogel delivery systems have the potential to promote regeneration after spinal cord injury by supporting axonal growth and endogenous regeneration, as well as loading and releasing therapeutic agents. Important characteristics to consider when designing hydrogels as delivery systems include rheology, mesh size, swelling, degradation, gelation temperature, and surface charge.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rui Lima, Andreia Monteiro, Antonio J. Salgado, Susana Monteiro, Nuno A. Silva
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition that lacks effective treatment options. Recent research has uncovered the complex mechanisms involved in SCI, leading to the development of new therapeutic approaches.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fang Wang, Jiaqiang Du, Hao Qiao, Dongfan Liu, Dong Guo, Jinjin Chen, Yanfeng Zhang, Yilong Cheng, Xijing He
Summary: Poly(lipoic acid-co-sodium lipoate) (PLL) hydrogels have been developed as an efficient treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI). The hydrogels exhibit injectability, tissue adhesiveness, and self-healing ability. They can scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), promote nerve fiber signal transmission, regulate inflammation, inhibit scar formation, and promote neural stem cell differentiation into neurons, contributing to fast functional recovery after SCI.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Rong Ji, Zhizhong Hao, Hao Wang, Xingfan Li, Linyan Duan, Fangxia Guan, Shanshan Ma, Rie Kakehashi, Yuji Yamashita
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe neurological injury that can be treated using injectable hydrogels as delivery systems. This article summarizes the types of injectable hydrogels, discusses their application in SCI treatment, and explores their mechanisms and potential benefits when combined with other therapies.
Review
Cell Biology
Yuanzhe Ding, Di Zhang, Sheng Wang, Xiaolei Zhang, Jingquan Yang
Summary: Spinal cord injury is a devastating disease causing loss of sensory and motor functions, with a pathological process involving mechanical primary injury and secondary injury. Macrophages play a crucial role in the pathology of SCI, and can be divided into different types. Hematogenous macrophages may have various roles in SCI but their specific function remains controversial.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Taoyang Yuan, Yu Shao, Xu Zhou, Qian Liu, Zhichao Zhu, Bini Zhou, Yuanchen Dong, Nicholas Stephanopoulos, Songbai Gui, Hao Yan, Dongsheng Liu
Summary: Researchers have developed a DNA hydrogel to repair spinal cord gap in rats, promoting proliferation and differentiation of stem cells for functional recovery. This hydrogel system shows great potential in clinical trials and could be adaptable to other tissue regeneration applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hongyan Zhang, Tian Hu, Mingxin Xiong, Shanshan Li, Wei-Xiong Li, Jinwen Liu, Xiang Zhou, Jian Qi, Gang-Biao Jiang
Summary: An injectable in situ gelling hydrogel loaded with cannabidiol has been developed for local delivery, showing promise as a biomaterial for tissue engineering and spinal cord injury treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xingchang Zhao, Xianzhe Lu, Kai Li, Shiqiang Song, Zhaohui Luo, Chuanchuan Zheng, Chengliang Yang, Xiumei Wang, Liqiang Wang, Yujin Tang, Chong Wang, Jia Liu
Summary: This study constructs a composite biomimetic hydrogel composed of acellularized spinal cord matrix and gelatin-modified PEGDA hydrogel, loaded with WAY-316606, and reinforced by 3D printed polycaprolactone fibers. The composite hydrogel can fill spinal cord injury-induced cavities, promote neural tissue regeneration, and facilitate cell migration through its self-healing capability. Animal behavior studies demonstrate significant recovery of motor function in rats with spinal cord injury.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Chun Yao, Xin Tang, Yuqi Cao, Xuhua Wang, Bin Yu
Summary: Spinal cord injury is a devastating event that disrupts the neuronal circuits between the brain and body, resulting in functional deficits. Recent progress in SCI repair, based on the lesion microenvironment, neural circuits, and biomaterial scaffolds, has provided new insights for potential therapeutic treatments. The use of targeted-microRNA therapy, blood vessel interventions, and multiple treatment combinations are highlighted as important directions for future research.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Md Akhlasur Rahman, Niraj Singh Tharu, Sylvia M. Gustin, Yong-Ping Zheng, Monzurul Alam
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating injury with severe complications, but recent development of noninvasive electrical neuromodulation treatments offers hope for rehabilitation. Trans-spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) and trans-spinal pulsed current stimulation (tsPCS) have shown promising results in improving sensorimotor and autonomic functions.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fangliang Guo, Xiaolong Zheng, Ziyu He, Ruoying Zhang, Song Zhang, Minghuan Wang, Hong Chen, Wei Wang
Summary: The study found that long-term treatment with NMD helps to improve locomotion, pain-related behaviors, and spasticity-like symptoms in rats with SCI, but has less effect on open-field activity, hind limb grip strength, and bladder function. Additionally, NMD-treated rats showed greater tissue preservation, reduced lesion areas, and increased perilesional neuronal sparing, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for SCI treatment.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)