[Spinal cord injuries: comments on preventive and curative strategy].

Research for the cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury has followed three complementary lines: Limitation of secondary lesions; the use of antagonists of excitatory amino acids has proven affective in reducing the extent of the lesions. Control of the glial scar; an oxygenated derivative of cholesterol can reduce the proliferation of reactive astrocytes and their hypertrophy, and permit the regrowth of axons in a denervated territory. Transplantation of embryonic neurons below the lesion allows to reinnervate denervated sites and reestablish reflex functions.