Harnessing Spinal Interneurons for Spinal Cord Repair

Abstract

Interest in spinal interneurons (SpINs), their heterogeneity in the naive spinal cord and their varying responses to central nervous system injury or disease has been steadily increasing. Our recent review on this topic highlights the vast phenotypic heterogeneity of SpINs and the efforts being made to better identify and classify these neurons. As our understanding of SpIN phenotype, connectivity, and neuroplastic capacity continues to expand, new therapeutic targets are being revealed and novel treatment approaches developed to harness their potential. Here, we expand on that initial discussion and highlight how SpINs can be used to develop advanced, targeted cellular therapies and personalized medicines.

Keywords: Spinal interneurons; cellular engineering; neuroplasticity; neurotrauma; stem cells.

Figure 1.

This schematic diagram highlights 3 commonly used cell sources (A-C) for obtaining neural progenitor cells (NPCs, (D)) inherently rich in interneuronal populations. The process of isolation and preparation of cells for transplantation (eg, expansion, selection and cell banking of specific phenotypes, (E)), allows for cellular engineering of specific subtypes of spinal interneurons. Multiple phenotypes of neuronal and non-neuronal precursor cells can be recombined (F) and transplanted (G) into the injured spinal cord.