Intrathecal injection and in vivo gene delivery: A probable therapy to reduce the secondary damage caused by acute spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury is a kind of serious disease mostly caused by injury. It will lead to function deficit of limbs and even do harm to li fe some time. Now, little measures are effective except early stage administration of great dosage of methylprednisolone and decompression surgery. But in vein usage of the drug may cause many side effects and operation can only remove the mass that compress the dura or spinal cord. We need some more effective way. Through gene delivery technique, continuous expression of functional protein, such as neuro-protective factor at local site may be possible. We postulate intrathecal injection of certain carrier with target gene, which can reduce secondary damage and prevent spinal cord from further attack. It may be become a novel therapy for acute spinal cord injury in the near future.