Implantation of Neonatal Skin–Derived Precursor Schwann Cells Improves Outcomes After Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

TL;DRAbstract

There are approximately 12400 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) each year, and both the incidence and prevalence of SCI are higher in the United States than anywhere else in the world.1 Despite the devastating nature of this condition, there are no known effective treatments, and many neuroscientists and neurosurgeons have focused on performing preclinical research using animal-based models to identify new therapeutic strategies that might offer patients a chance for recovery. Many of the commonly used animal models mimic complete SCI; however, about half of all SCIs are incomplete; therefore, it is important for scientists to also include models of incomplete SCI because the pathophysiology of this condition may be different and this set of patients may ultimately turn out to be more responsive to a different set of therapies. One promising treatment strategy for spinal cord repair involves the transplantation of Schwann cells. Schwann cells are myelin-producing cells that are nor

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