Emerging drugs for spinal cord injury

Background: This review summarizes several promising pharmacological approaches for the therapeutic management of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), which are either in early-phase clinical trials or nearing clinical translation. Objective: This review provides the reader with an understanding of the key pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to neurological deficits after SCI. Through discussion of the mechanism(s) of action of the selected therapeutic approaches potentially important targets to aid further drug discovery will be highlighted. Methods: Systematic literature review of the pre-clinical literature and clinical SCI trials related to neuroprotective, immunomodulatory and regenerative therapeutic approaches. Results/conclusion: The next decade will witness an unprecedented number of clinical trials which will seek to translate key biomedical research discoveries. The promising drug-based therapeutic approaches include regenerative strategies to neutralize myelin-mediated neurite outgrowth inhibition, neuroprotective strategies to reduce apoptotic triggers, the targeting of cationic/glutamatergic toxicity, anti-inflammatory strategies and the use of approaches to stabilize disrupted cell membranes.