Spinal Cord Injury Remyelination: Pathways to Therapies

Kaniuk, Julia K.; Kumar, Divy; Tennyson, Joshua; Hurka, Kaitlyn L.; Margolis, Alexander; Bucaloiu, Andrei; Selner, Ashley; Ahuja, Christopher S.

doi:10.3390/ijms26157249

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Spinal Cord Injury Remyelination: Pathways to Therapies

by

Julia K. Kaniuk

^1,†

,

Divy Kumar

^1,†

,

Joshua Tennyson

¹

,

Kaitlyn L. Hurka

¹,

Alexander Margolis

¹,

Andrei Bucaloiu

¹

,

Ashley Selner

² and

Christopher S. Ahuja

^2,3,*

¹

Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 240 E Huron Street, Suite 1-200, Chicago, IL 60611, USA

²

Northwestern Medicine Department of Neurological Surgery, 676 N St Clair Street, Suite 2210, Chicago, IL 60611, USA

³

Simpson-Querrey Research Institute, 303 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL 60611, USA

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7249; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157249 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 9 June 2025 / Revised: 16 July 2025 / Accepted: 22 July 2025 / Published: 26 July 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Spinal Cord Injury and Repair)

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Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition that results from a culmination of acute and chronic damage to neural tissue, specifically the myelin sheath, thus impacting neurons’ abilities to synergistically perform their physiological roles. This review explores the molecular underpinnings of myelination, demyelination, and remyelination, emphasizing the role of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), astrocytes, and microglia in physiological, and pathophysiological, healing. Furthermore, we link these processes with emerging therapeutic strategies currently under investigation in animal and human models, underscoring areas of translational medicine that remain underutilized. The goal of this review is to provide a framework for developing more advanced interventions to restore function and improve outcomes for individuals with SCI.

Keywords: spinal cord injury; neuronal degeneration; remyelination; myelin repair; neuroinflammation; stem cell therapy; stem cells; neuroregeneration; neuroplasticity; molecular changes

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kaniuk, J.K.; Kumar, D.; Tennyson, J.; Hurka, K.L.; Margolis, A.; Bucaloiu, A.; Selner, A.; Ahuja, C.S. Spinal Cord Injury Remyelination: Pathways to Therapies. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 7249. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157249

AMA Style

Kaniuk JK, Kumar D, Tennyson J, Hurka KL, Margolis A, Bucaloiu A, Selner A, Ahuja CS. Spinal Cord Injury Remyelination: Pathways to Therapies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(15):7249. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157249

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kaniuk, Julia K., Divy Kumar, Joshua Tennyson, Kaitlyn L. Hurka, Alexander Margolis, Andrei Bucaloiu, Ashley Selner, and Christopher S. Ahuja. 2025. "Spinal Cord Injury Remyelination: Pathways to Therapies" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 15: 7249. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157249

APA Style

Kaniuk, J. K., Kumar, D., Tennyson, J., Hurka, K. L., Margolis, A., Bucaloiu, A., Selner, A., & Ahuja, C. S. (2025). Spinal Cord Injury Remyelination: Pathways to Therapies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(15), 7249. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157249

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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