Ann Spine Res | Volume 1, Issue 1 | Review Article | Open Access

Pleiotropic Role of VEGF and Its Application for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Walker MJ and Xu XM^*

Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, USA

^*Correspondance to: Xiao-Ming Xu 

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Abstract

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is comprised of an initial mechanical insult to the spinal cord, followed by a secondary wave of injury, resulting in a toxic lesion environment which damages surrounding neurons, axons and glial cells. The minimal axonal growth in the Central Nervous System (CNS) including the spinal cord following injury is in stark contrast to the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), which demonstrates endogenous axonal regeneration and repair. This review focuses on the pleiotropic effects of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) on neurons and various types of glial cells, with a brief discussion of its well-characterized canonical role in the cardiovascular system and cancer. Recent decades of studies strongly suggest that combinational treatment approaches hold the greatest therapeutic potential for CNS trauma. Therefore, future directions of combinational therapies will be also proposed.

Keywords:

Spinal cord injury; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Angiogenesis; Placental growth factor; Neuropilin; Combinational therapies; Neuro trauma

Citation:

Walker MJ, Xu XM. Pleiotropic Role of VEGF and Its Application for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. Ann Spine Res. 2018; 1(1): 1001.