Cell Therapy and Biomaterials: Modern Approaches in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex pathology with a multifacetedpathogenesis and, to date, no definitive treatment strategy. Amongemerging therapeutic approaches, a combination strategy leveragingbiomaterial-based scaffolds for the delivery of both cells and therapeuticagents to the injured spinal cord has shown significant promise.While standalone cell therapies often demonstrate limited efficacy,biomaterial scaffolds can protect transplanted cells from the hostilemicroenvironment of the injury site and provide a supportive matrixfor cell adhesion and subsequent integration into the host neuraltissue. Contemporary approaches in cell and organoid therapy, combinedwith smart biomaterials that can dynamically adapt their propertiesin response to specific stimuli, present unprecedented opportunitiesfor SCI treatment. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overviewof the recent advances in SCI therapies involving cell transplantationand biomaterial scaffolds, with a particular focus on their combinations.It highlights the strengths and limitations of different types ofcell transplantation, including less conventional approaches, discussesbrain organoid transplantation methods, and identifies the mostfrequently used scaffold types selected based on their mechanicalproperties and 3D architecture.