Characterization of traumatic spinal cord injury model in relation to neuropathic pain in the rat.

Unlabelled: Purpose/aim: Neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI) has a tremendous impact on patient's quality of life, and frequently is the most limiting aspect of the disease. In view of the severity of this condition and the absence of effective treatments, the establishment of a reliable animal model that reproduces neuropathic pain after injury is crucial for a better understanding of the pathophysiology and for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Thus, the objective of the present study was to standardize the traumatic SCI model in relation to neuropathic pain.

Intraoperative assistive technologies and extent of resection in glioma surgery: a systematic review of prospective controlled studies.

Several studies published to date about glioma surgery have addressed the validity of using novel technologies for intraoperative guidance and potentially improved outcomes. However, most of these reports are limited by questionable methods and/or by their retrospective nature. In this work, we performed a systematic review of the literature to address the impact of intraoperative assistive technologies on the extent of resection (EOR) in glioma surgery, compared to conventional unaided surgery.

Behavioral improvement and regulation of molecules related to neuroplasticity in ischemic rat spinal cord treated with PEDF.

Pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) exerts trophic actions to motoneurons and modulates nonneuronal restorative events, but its effects on neuroplasticity responses after spinal cord (SC) injury are unknown. Rats received a low thoracic SC photothrombotic ischemia and local injection of PEDF and were evaluated behaviorally six weeks later. PEDF actions were detailed in SC ventral horn (motor) in the levels of the lumbar central pattern generator (CPG), far from the injury site.

Current perspectives in stem cell therapy for spinal cord repair in humans: a review of work from the past 10 years.

Unlabelled: Spinal cord injury (SCI) and amyotrophic laterals sclerosis (ALS) are devastating neurological conditions that affect individuals worldwide, significantly reducing quality of life, both for patients and their relatives.

Objective: The present review aims to summarize the multiple restorative approaches being developed for spinal cord repair, the use of different stem cell types and the current knowledge regarding stem cell therapy.

Method: Review of the literature from the past 10 years of human studies using stem cell transplantation as the main therapy, with or without adjuvant therapies.

Adult neurogenesis and glial oncogenesis: when the process fails.

Malignant brain tumors, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), are known for their high degree of invasiveness, aggressiveness, and lethality. These tumors are made up of heterogeneous cell populations and only a small part of these cells (known as cancer stem cells) is responsible for the initiation and recurrence of the tumor. The biology of cancer stem cells and their role in brain tumor growth and therapeutic resistance has been extensively investigated.