Abstract

Injuries to the spinal cord often have devastating physiological impacts due to the organ’s vital role in neuro-impulse communications between muscles and the brain. Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs) have recently been estimated to affect up to 80,000 individuals per year worldwide, with most occurring following a traumatic event. Unfortunately, effective treatments standardised globally for patients with SCIs have not yet been established. For many years, inadequate understanding of the complexities of the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems and Neurogenesis has limited progression towards effective cures. However, in the last century, scientific advancements have generated new paradigms for medical treatments of SCIs. Basic as well as translational studies have progressed to such an extent that many kinds of protective and regenerative therapeutics are available in clinical trials. In particular, uncovering the mechanisms responsible for controlling the pluripotent state of Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) was proved vital for recognizing the prospective role in regenerative medicine for SCIs. Elucidating knowledge of neurogenesis alongside hESCs in relation to SCIs has been crucial for critical assessments of the existing translational therapeutic strategies for SCIs.

Keywords: Clinical trials, neural progenitors, neurogenesis, neuroprotective therapeutics, neuroregenerative agents, physiopathology, spinal cord injury, stem cells.