Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (20): 5321-5330.doi: 10.12307/2026.670

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Biomaterials regulate microenvironment imbalance for treating spinal cord injury

Wang Zitong1, Wu Zijian2, Yang Aofei2, Mao Tian2, Fang Nan1, Wang Zhigang2   

  1. 1College of Acupuncture and Orthopedics, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430061, Hubei Province, China; 2First Department of Orthopedics, Hubei Provincial Hospital of TCM, Wuhan 430061, Hubei Province, China
  • Accepted:2025-06-27 Online:2026-07-18 Published:2025-12-03
  • Contact: Wang Zhigang, Chief physician, Professor, First Department of Orthopedics, Hubei Provincial Hospital of TCM, Wuhan 430061, Hubei Province, China
  • About author:Wang Zitong, Master candidate, College of Acupuncture and Orthopedics, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430061, Hubei Province, China Wu Zijian, MD, Attending physician, First Department of Orthopedics, Hubei Provincial Hospital of TCM, Wuhan 430061, Hubei Province, China
  • Supported by:
    spinal cord injury; microenvironment; biomaterial; nanotechnology; 3D printing; multifunctional composite material; nerve; nerve regeneration

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, tissue engineering biomaterials have shown unique advantages in regulating microenvironment imbalance and reconstructing nerve conduction pathways, providing diversified and innovative solutions for breaking through the bottleneck of spinal cord injury repair.
OBJECTIVE: To systematically explain the core pathological mechanism and dynamic evolution of microenvironment imbalance after spinal cord injury and the strategy of biomaterials to regulate microenvironment imbalance and repair spinal cord injury.
METHODS: The first author used a computer in February 2025 to retrieve the relevant literature published from inception to February 2025 on PubMed and CNKI. The English search terms were “spinal cord injuries, biocompatible materials, microenvironment” and the Chinese search terms were “spinal cord injury, biomaterials, microenvironment,” eventually incorporating 65 papers for analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After spinal cord injury, the microenvironment changes include hemorrhage, ischemia, glial scar formation, a persistent inflammatory cycle, and loss of neurotrophic factors. The regulatory and repair mechanisms at cellular and molecular levels after injury still require further investigation. Current biomaterial strategies effectively target microenvironment imbalances through multiple approaches (such as antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects, structural support, and controlled delivery of therapeutic factors), promoting nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Existing biomaterials need optimization in biocompatibility, degradation rates, and mechanical properties. Single-material systems struggle to address the complexity of spinal cord injury pathology. In the future, multi-target strategies (such as combining stem cell/gene therapies), clinical translation requiring rigorous safety and efficacy validation.

Key words: spinal cord injury, microenvironment, biomaterial, nanotechnology, 3D printing, multifunctional composite material, nerve, nerve regeneration

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