Rewiring the Spine-Cutting-Edge Stem Cell Therapies for Spinal Cord Repair

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating neurological condition that leads to severe disabilities, significantly reducing patients' quality of life and imposing substantial societal and economic burdens. SCI involves a complex pathogenesis, including primary irreversible damage and secondary injury driven by neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and ischemia. Current treatments often provide limited efficacy, underscoring the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. This paper aims to explore the potential use of stem cell (SC) therapy and exosome-based treatments as transformative approaches for managing SCI and mitigating associated disabilities. SCs, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), demonstrate regenerative capabilities, including self-renewal, differentiation into neurons and glial cells, and modulation of the injury microenvironment. These properties enable SCs to reduce inflammation, inhibit apoptosis, and promote neuronal regeneration in preclinical models. Exosome-based therapies, derived from SCs, offer a novel alternative by addressing challenges like immune rejection and tumorigenicity. Exosomes deliver biomolecules, such as miRNAs, fostering anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and pro-regenerative effects. They have shown efficacy in improving motor function, reducing glial scarring, and enhancing a

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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