Mechanisms and pathways of inflammatory responses in CNS trauma: spinal cord injury

Abstract

Numerous mechanisms contribute to neural damage following central nervous system (CNS) injury. Inflammatory response has emerged as an important interaction between the CNS and the immune system in spinal cord injury that can have beneficial as well as detrimental consequences. This relationship has important implications for the development of therapeutic interventions for injuries and diseases of the spinal cord. This article details the innate and adaptive arms of the immune response, including cell-mediated and humoral pathways, and describes their relevance to the processes of degeneration and regeneration.