The roles and applications of neural stem cells in spinal cord injury repair

Wen Guo; Xindan Zhang; Jiliang Zhai; Jiajia Xue

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2022.966866

The roles and applications of neural stem cells in spinal cord injury repair

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2022 Aug 29:10:966866. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.966866. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Wen Guo¹, Xindan Zhang², Jiliang Zhai³, Jiajia Xue²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
² Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI), which has no current cure, places a severe burden on patients. Stem cell-based therapies are considered promising in attempts to repair injured spinal cords; such options include neural stem cells (NSCs). NSCs are multipotent stem cells that differentiate into neuronal and neuroglial lineages. This feature makes NSCs suitable candidates for regenerating injured spinal cords. Many studies have revealed the therapeutic potential of NSCs. In this review, we discuss from an integrated view how NSCs can help SCI repair. We will discuss the sources and therapeutic potential of NSCs, as well as representative pre-clinical studies and clinical trials of NSC-based therapies for SCI repair.

Keywords: application; neural stem cell; repair; review; spinal cord injury.

Publication types

Review