Cell Therapy Strategies in the Repair of Spinal Cord Injury: Pros and Cons

The regeneration capacity of the central nervous system (CNS) is very limited in the traumatic and non-traumatic injuries. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is the most common traumatic injuries in the CNS. Cell therapies have been tested to repair the neurodegenerative conditions of the CNS by different type of stem cells. Cell Therapy approaches focused on targeting the pathophysiology of SCI, in particular to replace lost neuronal and/or glial cells, provide a more favorable growth environment and neutralize inhibitory molecules. Neural stem/progenitor cells, glial precursors, olfactory ensheathing glial cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and Schwann cells are commonly used as the traditional cell transplants in experimental SCI studies, which may induce some advantages and/or disadvantages. It has been indicated that cellular transplantation had positive effects on animal models of some neuronal diseases. However, potential limitations and some concerns regarding the immunity of cell therapy are considered.
The various stem cells candidates for cell therapy may provide positive therapeutic effects in SCI. These cells have some advantages and disadvantages. Among these cells, well-differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives in vitro can be used as an autologous source in SCI patients.