G-CSF for Spinal Cord Injury

Newark, NJ -

Numerous stem cell therapeutic approaches are currently under investigation for spinal cord injury. Although it has been demonstrated in animal models that stem cells possess various repairative properties, an important and often overlooked property of stem cells is their ability to produce numerous trophic factors capable of stimulating endogenous healing processes.

In a recent paper (Divani et al. The Use of Stem Cells' Hematopoietic Stimulating Factors Therapy Following Spinal Cord Injury. Ann Biomed Eng. 2007 Jul 20) the case is made for the use of various growth factors secreted by stem cells for acceleration of healing after spinal cord injury.

One very interesting idea proposed by the authors is the use of G-CSF for treatment of spinal cord injury. This proposal has numerous treatment implications since G-CSF is already used clinically.