NT3-chitosan enables de novo regeneration and functional recovery in monkeys after spinal cord injury

Significance Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe medical condition often leading to permanent loss of sensory, motor, and autonomic functions, currently with no cure. This study provides evidence that in monkeys with severe SCI, a bioactive and biodegradable material, NT3-chitosan, elicited robust de novo neural regeneration including, for example, long-distance axonal growth of cortical motor neurons in the cortical spinal tract, as well as sensory and motor functional recovery. In this study, we utilized a battery of minimally invasive outcome measures including fMRI, magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging, and kinematics walking analyses, which are all clinical trial-compatible. Essentially, success in this approach in nonhuman primate SCI models provides a solid foundation for its potential therapeutic application.