A Perspective: Electrospun Fibers for Repairing Spinal Cord Injury

Patients with spinal cord injury(SCI) are suffering disability and accompanying complications. Due to the complex biological processes and inhibitory microenvironment after SCI, advances in clinical treatment show obvious limitations for achieving a successful repair. Herein, we summarize recent advances in engineering strategies of using electrospun nanofibers to promote the neural regeneration and functional recovery after SCI. We firstly introduce the pathological mechanism of SCI and thus point out the challenges on the regeneration of the nerve. We then discuss the regenerative approaches by combining electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds with physical cues, biochemical cues(e.g., cells, growth factors and other biomolecules), external stimuli, and supporting materials filling in the inner lumen of the scaffolds. All these strategies have indicated their potentials to enhance the efficacy of repairing the SCI. At last, we provide a perspective on the future direction for designing the electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds in combination with imaging systems to realize the in-situ monitoring of regeneration progress for further improving the treatment outcome.