Therapeutic implications of fibroblast growth factors in traumatic spinal cord injury

Neurological damage after acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) results from both the primary mechanical injury as well as the subsequent activatio n of cell death cascades mediating delayed tissue damage. Since secondary i njury following traumatic SCI is a tightly regulated process in which sever al neurotrophic factors seem to be implicated, administration of these prot eins has a clinical interest. Fibroblast growth factor may be one of the ag ents to be used for the treatment of traumatic SCI.