Mouse models of spinal cord injury and stem cell transplantation

Spinal cord injury is one of the most devastating neurologic conditions that mostly affects young, and otherwise healthy, patients. Following the primary phase of injury, deleterious secondary inflammation and vascular disruption lead to a more sustained and permanent damage. Over the years, various animal models of spinal cord injury have been developed to help understand the mechanism and the pathophysiology of injury, and to develop reliable treatment strategies. These animal models, especially for the mouse, have also become the target of stem cell therapy, which aims to replace the lost cellular element at the site of injury. In this review, we will discuss the different types of mouse models of spinal cord injury, and elaborate on the therapeutic use of stem cells transplantation. [Display omitted] •Spinal cord injury is one of the most devastating neurological conditions.•Over the years, mouse models of spinal cord injury have become very popular among neuroscientists due to low cost and diverse genetic modifications.•Stem cell transplantation at the injury site is one of the most promising treatments for spinal cord injury.•Different mouse models of spinal cord injury are either mechanical or vascular.•The mechanical injury types provide different degree of control over the amount and degree of compression.