Fetal neural tissue transplantation for spinal cord injury repair

Abstract

Spinal cord being the sole communication link between brain and parts below the neck, its injury invariably results in dreaded sensory and motor control loss. Mankind's recognition of spinal cord injury (SCI) and its consequence dates back to 2500 B.C. evident from vivid descriptions given in Greek papyrus. Despite such early recognition, pathophysiology of SCI and prospective therapies were not identified until early part of previous century. In a review, Osterholm [32] had summarized various pathological events that ensue SCI which ranges from petechial hemorrhage immediately after injury to secondary necrosis and cavitations which take several days to weeks to develop.