Bioengineering for spinal cord injury

Every year, 0.93 million people worldwide suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI) with irretrievable sequelae. Because the spinal cord, like the brain, has a very limited regenerative function, rehabilitation is the only major method of ameliorating the impairments of SCI. New treatments are being investigated and several clinical trials are underway around the world. Recent developments in bioengineering and information technology are also bringing light to this intractable disease.

One is the activation of function. Nervous tissue has a high affinity for electricity and magnetism because it functions by transmitting electrical signals. Skeletal muscles are connected to anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and receive feedback directly from sensory nerves, including muscle spindles, so activation of skeletal muscles and stimulation of peripheral nerves can also promote activation of spinal cord functions. It is now known that the brain also undergoes drastic functional and structural changes after SCI, and it is expected that spinal cord function can be improved by utilizing the plasticity of the brain.

The second is tissue regeneration, or in other words, intervention at the injured site of spinal cord. After SCI, a cavity is formed at the injured site, which inhibits regeneration in humans, and transplantation of a substance with high tissue affinity into the cavity may induce axonal growth in the host neural tissue.

The purpose of this topic is to collect articles on bioengineering for SCI and to explore new therapeutic possibilities. Specifically, the following items are included.

- Brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerve simulation

- Robotic technology to support body movement

- Bio 3D printers for spinal cord implants

- Scaffolds implanted in the spinal cord

- Drug delivery system for central nervous system

- Measurements that reflect the degree of spinal cord injury

Not limited to the above, we invite original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, brief research reports, and case reports on treatments using new technologies or technologies that may lead to treatments.