Injectable approaches to deliver innovative treatments for spinal cord: When regenerative medicine meets precision medicine.

Delivering therapeutic agents to the spinal cord is crucial for treating conditions such as Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), chronic pain and neurodegenerative diseases. Various administration routes, including systemic, epidural, intrathecal, subarachnoid, localized and intraparenchymal injections, offer distinct advantages and challenges when it comes to achieving effective therapeutic outcomes. The invasiveness, precision and ability to bypass biological barriers, such as the Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier (BSCB), differ between these methods. This literature review summarizes the latest research on these delivery approaches, examining their principles, techniques, applications and associated risks. By analyzing the efficacy and limitations of each route for administering steroids, recombinant growth factors, gene therapies, stem cells and biomaterial scaffolds, the review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the most effective strategies for targeting the spinal cord. It will highlight key findings and identify areas for further investigation.