Hydrogels in Spinal Cord Injury Repair: A Review

Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are often caused by accidents and can lead to significant disability, especially in young people. Current treatments aim to prevent further nerve damage, reduce inflammation and scarring, and encourage nerve regeneration. Hydrogels are materials with good compatibility with the body, adjustable properties, and the ability to act as carriers for cells and drugs. They can provide structural support and promote cell growth and tissue repair in the injured spinal cord. This review discusses how hydrogels can be used, alone or with cells and molecules, to repair SCIs. It also explores the potential of hydrogels in clinical research, offering new ideas for SCI treatment.

• 1
  Hydrogels can serve as structural scaffolds for tissues, promoting cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation, thereby accelerating the repair of damaged tissue in SCI.
• 2
  Hydrogels can be synthesized using physical or chemical methods, each offering different advantages in terms of stability, control over properties, and biocompatibility.
• 3
  Hydrogels can be combined with cells (like neural stem cells or mesenchymal stem cells) or molecules (like growth factors or peptides) to enhance their therapeutic effect on SCI repair.