Neglected No More: Emerging Cellular Therapies in Traumatic Injury

Lowry, Lacy E.; Herzig, Maryanne C.; Christy, Barbara A.; Schäfer, Richard; Pati, Shibani; Cap, Andrew P.; Bynum, James A.

Traumatic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability in both military and civilian populations. Given the complexity and diversity of traumatic injuries, novel and individualized treatment strategies are required to optimize outcomes. Cellular therapies have potential benefit for the treatment of acute or chronic injuries, and various cell-based pharmaceuticals are currently being tested in preclinical studies or in clinical trials. Cellular therapeutics may have the ability to complement existing therapies, especially in restoring organ function lost due to tissue disruption, prolonged hypoxia or inflammatory damage. In this article we highlight the current status and discuss future directions of cellular therapies for the treatment of traumatic injury. Both published research and ongoing clinical trials are discussed here. [Image: see text]