title: The known-unknowns in spinal cord injury, with emphasis on cell-based therapies - a review with suggestive arenas for research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In spite of extensive research, the progress toward a cure in spinal cord injury (SCI) is still elusive, which holds good for the cell- and stem cell-based therapies. We have critically analyzed seven known gray areas in SCI, indicating the specific arenas for research to improvise the outcome of cell-based therapies in SCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  The seven, specific known gray areas in SCI analyzed are: i) the gap between animal models and human victims; ii) uncertainty about the time, route and dosage of cells applied; iii) source of the most efficacious cells for therapy; iv) inability to address the vascular compromise during SCI; v) lack of non-invasive methodologies to track the transplanted cells; vi) need for scaffolds to retain the cells at the site of injury; and vii) physical and chemical stimuli that might be required for synapses formation yielding functional neurons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research on scaffolds for retaining the transplanted cells at the lesion, chemical and physical stimuli that may help neurons become functional, a meta-analysis of timing of the cell therapy, mode of application and larger clinical studies are essential to improve the outcome.
authors.affiliation: Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM), The Mary-Yoshio Translational Hexagon (MYTH) , PB 1262, Chennai - 600034, Tamil Nadu , India +91 44 24732186 ; drsam@nichimail.jp , drspp@nichimail.jp.
authors.forename: Vidyasagar Devaprasad
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Dedeepiya
authors.forename: Justin Benjamin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: William
authors.forename: Jutty K B C
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Parthiban
authors.forename: Ranganathan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chidambaram
authors.forename: Madasamy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balamurugan
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Senthilkumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Preethy
authors.forename: Samuel J K
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Abraham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; D006801:Humans; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000628:therapy*