Abstract
Spinal cord injury triggers a complex set of events that lead to tissue healing without the restoration of normal function due to the poor regenerative capacity of the spinal cord. Among the range of strategies under investigation, cell-based therapies offer the most promising results, due to the multifactorial roles that these cells can fulfill.
In this context, the role of biomaterials is gaining importance. Some of the candidate molecules for the future are discussed in view of the knowledge derived from studying the mechanisms that facilitate the intrinsic regenerative capacity of central nervous system neurons.
The future challenge for the multidisciplinary teams working in the field is to translate the knowledge acquired in basic research into effective combinatorial therapies to be applied in the clinic.