It was an honor for me to present the 2014 G. Heiner Sell Memorial Lecture at the annual American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) meeting in San Antonio. For this purpose, I provided a comprehensive review of the scope of research targeting discovery and translational and clinical investigations into spinal cord injury (SCI) research. Indeed, these are exciting times in the area of spinal cord research and clinical initiatives. Many laboratories and clinical programs throughout the world are publishing data related to the pathophysiology of SCI and new strategies for protecting and promoting recovery in both animal models and humans. For this lecture, several topics were discussed including neuroprotective and reparative strategies, neurorehabilitation, quality of life issues, and future directions. In the area of neuroprotection, pathophysiological events that may be targeted with therapeutic strategies, including pharmacological and targeted temperature management were reviewed. For reparative approaches, the importance of both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of axonal regeneration was highlighted. Various cell therapies currently being tested in preclinical and clinical arenas were reviewed as well as ongoing US Food and Drug Administration approved trials for SCI patients. Neurorehabilitation is an evolving research field with locomotive training strategies, electrical stimulation, and brain-machine interface programs targeting various types of SCI. The importance of testing combination approaches including neuroprotective, reparative, and rehabilitative strategies to maximize recovery mechanisms was therefore emphasized. Finally, quality of life issues that affect thousands of individuals living with paralysis were also presented. Future directions and specific obstacles that require attention as we continue to move the SCI field forward were discussed.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
2014 G. Heiner Sell Memorial Lecture|
April 12 2015
Protection and Repair After Spinal Cord Injury: Accomplishments and Future Directions Free
W. Dietrich
W. Dietrich
1
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and the Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
Search for other works by this author on:
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil (2015) 21 (2): 174–187.
Citation
W. Dietrich; Protection and Repair After Spinal Cord Injury: Accomplishments and Future Directions. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil 1 March 2015; 21 (2): 174–187. doi: https://doi.org/10.1310/sci2102-174
Download citation file:
Citing articles via
Immunomodulation for Primary Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury or Disease During Primary In-House Rehabilitation: Results From a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Feasibility Trial (UroVaxom-Pilot)
Jörg Krebs, PhD, Jens Wöllner, PD, MD, Julia Neuenschwander, MD, Jasmin Mahler, MSc, Ezra Valido, PhD, Michael Harder, MD, Jivko Stoyanov, Prof, PhD, Jürgen Pannek, Prof, MD
Peripheral Vascular Dysfunction Following Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Thomas Thordarson, BSc, Tiev Miller, PhD, Martín Calderón-Juárez, MD, PhD, Ali Hosseinzadeh, BSc, Raza Malik, PhD, Rahul Sachdeva, PhD, Andrei V. Krassioukov, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Behavioral/Physical and Stimulation Interventions for Chronic Pain Following Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review
Linda Ehrlich-Jones, PhD, RN, Elise Olsen, BA, Angelika Kudla, MS, Jennifer Burns, BA, Nicole Sharf, MA, Q. Eileen Wafford, MST, MLIS, Allen W. Heinemann, PhD
Perspectives on Barriers to Use and Benefits of Functional Electrical Stimulation From Australians and New Zealanders With SCI and Clinicians and Researchers in the Field
Anne E. Palermo, PT, DPT, PhD, Edward Gorgon, PT, PhD, Antonio Vecchio, BS, Lisa Tedesco Triccas, PT, PhD, Euan McCaughey, PhD, Maggie Donovan-Hall, PhD
Breastfeeding After Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review of Prevalence and Associated Complications
Andrei Krassioukov, MD, PhD, Amanda H.X. Lee, MSc, MD (student), Stacy Elliott, MD, Teri Thorson, Nathan Agon-Chen, BKin, MPT, MD, Gavin Naicker, BSc, MBT, MD (student), Matthew Querée, MAppPsych, Janice Eng, PhD, BSc(PT/OT), SCIRE Team