STEM
CELL THERAPY
Recent approaches to
stem cell therapy after a spinal cord injury are depicted here. I. The
pathologic process of spinal cord injury shows acute and chronic responses.
II. Use of exogenous stem cells transplanted during the subacute phase
leads to differentiation of neurons and glia and trophic support and modulation
of inflammation. III. In situ modulation of endogenous stem cells uses
infusion of growth factors. These approaches remain experimental but offer
possible applications of knowledge derived from stem cell biology to treat devastating
conditions such as spinal cord injury.