Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) causes irreversible functional loss of the affected population. The incidence of SCI keeps increasing, resulting in huge burden on the society. The pathogenesis of SCI involves neuron death and exotic reaction, which could impede neuron regeneration. In clinic, the limited regenerative capacity of endogenous cells after SCI is a major problem. Recent studies have demonstrated that a variety of stem cells such as induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs), Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Neural Progenitor Cells (NPCs) /Neural Stem Cells (NSCs) have therapeutic potential for SCI. However, the efficacy and safety of these stem cellbased therapy for SCI remain controversial. In this review, we introduce the pathogenesis of SCI, summarize the current status of the application of these stem cells in SCI repair, and discuss possible mechanisms responsible for functional recovery of SCI after stem cell transplantation. Finally, we highlight several areas for further exploitation of stem cells as a promising regenerative therapy of SCI.

脊髓损伤（SCI）导致受影响人群不可逆转的功能丧失。脊髓损伤的发病率不断增加，给社会带来了沉重的负担。SCI的发病机制涉及神经元死亡和外来反应，这可能会阻碍神经元再生。在临床上，脊髓损伤后内源性细胞再生能力有限是一个主要问题。最近的研究表明，多种干细胞，例如诱导多能干细胞（iPSC），胚胎干细胞（ESC），间充质干细胞（MSC）和神经祖细胞（NPC）/神经干细胞（NSC），具有治疗潜力对于SCI。然而，这些基于干细胞的疗法对SCI的疗效和安全性仍存在争议。在这篇综述中，我们介绍了SCI的发病机制，总结了这些干细胞在SCI修复中的应用现状，并讨论了干细胞移植后负责SCI功能恢复的可能机制。最后，我们重点介绍了干细胞作为SCI的有希望的再生疗法进一步开发的几个领域。