Angiogenesis in Spinal Cord Injury: Progress and Treatment
Konstantinos Tsivelekas, Dimitrios Stergios Evangelopoulos, Dimitrios Pallis, Ioannis S. Benetos, Stamatios A Papadakis, John Vlamis, Spyros G Pneumaticos
Abstract
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) provokes the onset of an intricate pathological process. Initial primary injury ruptures local micro-neuro-vascularcomplex triggering the commencement of multi-factorial secondary sequences which exert significant influence on neurological deterioration progress. Stimulating by local ischemia, neovascularization pathways emerge to provide neuroprotection and improve functional recovery. Although angiogenetic processes are prompted, newly formed vascular system is frequently inadequate to distribute sufficient blood supply and improve axonal recovery. Several treatment interventions have been endeavored to achieve the optimal conditions in SCI microenvironment, enhancing angiogenesis and improve functional recovery. In this study we review the revascularization pathogenesis and importance within the secondary processes and condense the proangiogenic influence of several angiogenetic-targeted treatment interventions.