REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neurodegeneration
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1574763
Biological Engineering Approaches for Modulating the Pathological Microenvironment and Promoting Axonal Regeneration After Spinal Cord Injury
Provisionally accepted
Xiaohong Chen1
Rong Huang1,2Zhe Yang1,2Jun Zhang1,2Yanling Yang1
Feng Gao1Minli Liu1*Shengjun Zhang1,2*- 1School of Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shanxi, China
- 2Yanan University Affiliated Hospital, Yanan, Shaanxi, China
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Functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI) presents significant challenges and imposes a substantial burden on society. Current research primarily focuses on minimizing damage and promoting regeneration to enhance functional recovery after SCI. Following SCI, secondary injuries such as mitochondrial dysfunction, vascular rupture, inflammatory responses, and glial scarring occur in the lesion area, forming the pathological microenvironment. These factors expand the extent of damage, exacerbate injury severity, and severely impede axonal regeneration after SCI. Modulating the pathological microenvironment through various interventions may facilitate axonal regeneration and promote functional recovery after SCI. This article reviews the influence and research advancements in axon regeneration concerning mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory response, and glial scar formation after SCI. Additionally, it integrates insights from bioengineering to improve the pathological microenvironment, summarizing the progress in axon regeneration research. The review concludes with novel strategies for enhancing axon regeneration, offering fresh perspectives for future investigations.
Keywords: spinal cord injury, Regeneration of axons, pathological microenvironment, Mitochondria, Inflammatory Response, glial scar, Biological Engineering
Received: 11 Feb 2025; Accepted: 22 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Huang, Yang, Zhang, Yang, Gao, Liu and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Minli Liu, School of Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an, 716000, Shanxi, China
Shengjun Zhang, Yanan University Affiliated Hospital, Yanan, 716000, Shaanxi, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.