Use of Cells, Supplements, and Peptides as Therapeutic Strategies for Modulating Inflammation after Spinal Cord Injury: An Update

Abstract

Spinal cord injury is a traumatic lesion that causes a catastrophic condition in patients, resulting in neuronal deficit and loss of motor and sensory function. That loss is caused by secondary injury events following mechanical damage, which results in cell death. One of the most important events is inflammation, which activates molecules like proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) that provoke a toxic environment, inhibiting axonal growth and exacerbating CNS damage. As there is no effective treatment, one of the developed therapies is neuroprotection of the tissue to preserve healthy tissue. Among the strategies that have been developed are the use of cell therapy, the use of peptides, and molecules or supplements that have been shown to favor an anti-inflammatory environment that helps to preserve tissue and cells at the site of injury, thus favoring axonal growth and improved locomotor function. In this review, we will explain some of these strategies used in different animal models of spinal cord injury, their activity as modulators of the immune system, and the benefits they have shown.

Biomaterials targeting the microenvironment for spinal cord injury repair: progression and perspectives

“…Following CNS damage, astrocytes undergo activation and transform into reactive astrocytes. These reactive astrocytes exhibit increased proliferation and induce morphological alterations, ultimately leading to the formation of glial scarring ( Day and Milner, 2019 ; Garcia et al, 2023 ). However, this scar formation hinders axonal regeneration and impedes the process of spinal cord healing ( Figure 1 ) ( Zou et al, 2020 ).…”