title: Restoring function after spinal cord injury: towards clinical translation of experimental strategies.
abstract: Spinal cord injury is currently incurable and treatment is limited to minimising secondary complications and maximising residual function by rehabilitation. Improved understanding of the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury and the factors that prevent nerve and tissue repair has fuelled a move towards more ambitious experimental treatments aimed at promoting neuroprotection, axonal regeneration, and neuroplasticity. By necessity, these new options are more invasive. However, in view of recent advances in spinal cord injury research and demand from patients, clinicians, and the scientific community to push promising experimental treatments to the clinic, momentum and optimism exist for the translation of candidate experimental treatments to clinical spinal cord injury. The ability to rescue, reactivate, and rewire spinal systems to restore function after spinal cord injury might soon be within reach.
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Regeneration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Guy's Campus, London, UK; International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries, Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Leanne M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ramer
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Regeneration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Guy's Campus, London, UK; International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries, Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Matt S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ramer
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Regeneration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Guy's Campus, London, UK. Electronic address: elizabeth.bradbury@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bradbury
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*