Neural Regen Res
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Review
Tamoxifen: an FDA approved drug with neuroprotective effects for spinal cord injury recovery.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a condition without a cure, affecting sensory and/or motor functions. The physical trauma to the spinal cord initiates a cascade of molecular and cellular events that generates a non-permissive environment for cell survival and axonal regeneration. Among these complex set of events are damage of the blood-brain barrier, edema formation, inflammation, oxidative stress, demyelination, reactive gliosis and apoptosis. ⋯ A gap of knowledge exists regarding the sex differences in response to Tamoxifen and the therapeutic window available to administer this treatment. In addition, the effects of Tamoxifen in axonal outgrowth or synapse formation needs to be investigated. This review will address some of the mechanisms activated by Tamoxifen after SCI and the results recently published by investigators in the field.