Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery, 2006, 1, 55-63 55
1574-8898/06 $100.00+.00 © 2006 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
The Quest to Repair the Damaged Spinal Cord
Maria Teresa Moreno-Flores* and Jesús Ávila
Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049
Madrid, Spain
Received: July 13, 2005; Accepted: September 13, 2005; Revised: September 20, 2005
Abstract: Spinal cord injuries devastate the lives of those affected. Normally, acute injury leads to chronic injury in the
spinal cord, although this has a variable impact on normal sensory and motor functions. Currently the only drug used to
treat acute spinal cord injury is methyl-prednisolone, administered in order to prevent secondary inflammatory neural
damage. Thus, it is time that alternative and complementary pharmacological, cell and gene therapies be developed. In
order to achieve this, several approaches to stimulate spinal cord repair must be considered. Indeed, the main lines of
research that have been established in different animal models of spinal cord regeneration are now beginning to produce
encouraging results. Several patents have been derived from these studies and hopefully, they will lead to the development
of new treatments for human spinal cord injuries. Here is presented a review of the main patents that have been generated
by this research, and that can be classified as:
- Patents involving the use of different factors that promote axonal regeneration.
- Patents aimed at overcoming the activity of glial scar inhibitory molecules that hinder axonal regeneration. These
approaches can be further subdivided into those that block Nogo and other myelin components, and those that involve the
use of chondroitinase against glial scar chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans.
- Patents concerning glial cell therapy, in which glial cells are used to mediate axonal repair in the spinal cord (Schwann
cells, olfactory ensheathing cells or astrocytes).
Keywords: Spinal cord repair, central nervous system regeneration, axonal regeneration, neurotrophic factors, glial scar
molecules, glial cell therapy.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are indebted to Neuropharma Inc., M. Botín and
Ramón Areces Foundations and the DGCYT. M.T.M. was
supported by contracts from the Spanish C.S.I.C, Neuropharma
Inc, and Severo Ochoa Foundation.