Combined Therapeutic Strategies for Chronic Spinal Cord Injury in Rodents: Scaffold Supported Regionally Specific Human Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells with and without Electrical Stimulation
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event that frequently becomes a chronic condition. The consequences of neurological damage are multifaceted, with no effective clinical treatments. The majority of rodent studies have been conducted on acute and subacute SCI, while chronic SCI remains an unmet need. Strategies for treatment aim to achieve functional independence, optimize residual function, and minimize complications associated with chronic SCI. It is unlikely that there will be one single therapy for chronic SCI, which suggests that combinatorial strategies, such as scaffold-supported cellular transplantation with or without neuromodulation, may be required for effective functional improvement. In this review, we focus on one specific strategy, transplantation of scaffold-supported human stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in rodent models, with or without neuromodulation therapies, in particular electrical stimulation (ES), that will further elucidate the therapeutic potential in the treatment of chronic SCI.
DOI: 10.29245/2767-5122/2025/1.1156 View / Download PdfThe Transformative Impacts of Digital Innovation in Rehabilitation Therapy: Featuring Insights from the Saudi National Health Command Centre
The broad digital innovations occurring in healthcare systems around the world are contributing to positive developments in rehabilitation therapy, particularly in relation to overcoming challenges around accessibility, care continuity, and the optimization of resources. This mini-review examines the intersection of digital innovation and healthcare command centers with rehabilitation therapy, utilizing the Saudi National Health Command Centre (NHCC) as an illustrative case study. It employs a rehabilitation perspective to analyze command center architectures and their practical effects, illustrating how novel models can revolutionize the delivery of rehabilitation therapy in diverse healthcare environments. Several beneficial effects are apparent: better rehabilitation referral pathways, increased provision of evidence-based resources, and enhanced resilience of service continuity, even in crises. Notwithstanding the implementation challenges, the integration of rehabilitation within command center ecosystems offers promising prospects to enhance person-centered rehabilitation service and foster innovations in global telerehabilitation.
DOI: 10.29245/2767-5122/2025/1.1158 View / Download Pdf