Regeneration-based therapies for spinal cord injuries

Abstract

Although it has been long believed that the damaged central nervous system does not regenerate upon injury, there is an emerging hope for regeneration-based therapy of the damaged central nervous system (CNS) due to the progress of developmental biology and regenerative medicine including stem cell biology. In this talk, I will summarize recent studies aimed at the development of regeneration-based therapeutic approaches for spinal cord injuries, including therapy with anti-inflammatory cytokines, transplantation of neural stem/precursor cells and induction of axonal regeneration. [J Physiol Sci. 2008;58 Suppl:S23]