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Spinal cord repair: advances in biology and technology

Abstract

Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) can face decades with permanent disabilities. Advances in clinical management have decreased morbidity and improved outcomes, but no randomized clinical trial has demonstrated the efficacy of a repair strategy for improving recovery from SCI. Here, we summarize recent advances in biological and engineering strategies to augment neuroplasticity and/or functional recovery in animal models of SCI that are pushing toward clinical translation.

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Fig. 1: SCI biology and spontaneous recovery mechanisms.
Fig. 2: Biological strategies and mechanisms for spinal cord repair.
Fig. 3: Engineering strategies to enable immediate and long-term recovery of motor functions.
Fig. 4: Engineering technologies to interface motor intentions with denervated body parts.

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Acknowledgements

The authors kindly thank J. B. Mignardot for drafting the figures. This work was supported by a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC-2015-CoG HOW2WALKAGAIN 682999 to G.G.), the Swiss National Science Foundation including a bonus of Excellence (310030B_166674) and the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) Robotics (to G.C.), the US National Institutes of Health R01NS084030 (to M.S.), the Dr Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Foundation (to M.S.) and Wings for Life (to G.C. and M.S.).

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G.C. holds various patents in relation to the reviewed work, and is a founder and shareholder of GTX medical, a company developing a therapy for spinal cord injury.

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Courtine, G., Sofroniew, M.V. Spinal cord repair: advances in biology and technology. Nat Med 25, 898–908 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-019-0475-6

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