Intrathecal Transplantation of Autologous Adherent Bone Marrow Cells Induces Functional Neurological Recovery in a Canine Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in demyelination of surviving axons, loss of oligodendrocytes, and impairment of motor and sensory functions. We have developed a clinical strategy of cell therapy for SCI through the use of autologous bone marrow cells for transplantation to augment remyelination and enhance neurological repair. In a preclinical large mammalian model of SCI, experimental dogs were subjected to a clipping contusion of the spinal...