Chemokines as possible targets in modulation of the secondary damage after acute spinal cord injury: A review

In spite of many promising experimental studies, an effective treatment dramatically eliminating the secondary damage after spinal cord injury (SCI) is still missing. Since clinical data on the therapeutical effect after methylprednisolone treatment are not conclusive, new therapeutical modalities targeting specific components of secondary spinal cord damage needs to be developed. It is known that immune cells are recruited to injury sites by chemokines, which are small, structurally similar proteins released locally at the site of inflammation. Hence, this review was aimed to summarize possible roles of chemokines in the inflammation following SCI as well as to identify possible new therapeutical targets which can potentially be effective in ameliorating individual components of this inflammatory response. Data concerning inflammation reduction together with techniques improving axonal growth, cell replacement and remyelinization, may be crucial to move a small step forward in an attempt to make paraplegic and quadriplegic patients to walk.