Special Interview with Editorial Board Member Dr. Nuno A. Silva: Exploration of New Treatments and Collaborative Paths for Spinal Cord Injury

20 August 2025

 

Recently, we conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Nuno A. Silva, a tenured assistant researcher at the Institute of Life and Health Sciences (ICVS), University of Minho, Portugal. Since forming his team at the ICVS/Medical School in 2014, Dr Silva has focused on the pathophysiology and repair of spinal cord injury. Up to July 12, 2023, he has published 56 scientific papers, including 42 on Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) regenerative medicine (SCI - indexed), with 13 as the senior author. He has over 2900 citations and an H-index of 23, as well as two patents. His research team has two postdoctoral fellows, 7 PhD students, 3 MSc students, and 2 technicians. He has secured over €2.5 million in competitive funding and received funding from Wings for Life and La Caixa Foundation.

 

Dr. Nuno A. Silva was an organizer of the AIM-SCI 2025 conference. Subsequent to that, he served as Guest Editor for a special issue of the Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, namely "AIM-SCI 2025: Molecular Mechanisms and Translational Research in Spinal Cord Injury". (https://www.imrpress.com/journal/JIN/special_issues/SCI2025)  He is also one of the Editorial Board members of this Journal.

 

In this interview, Dr. Silva shares his expert insights on the groundbreaking work by his team, the critical questions in SCI research, and his vision for fostering collaboration through various pivotal initiatives.

 

1. Could you please give a brief self-introduction and share your research background and current research focus?

My name is Nuno A. Silva. I’m a Tenured Assistant Researcher at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Portugal. I hold a PhD in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. The research focus of my team is spinal cord injury, from studies into fundamental aspects of its pathology, to the development of novel therapeutic approaches.

 

2. Could you share with the readers some of the advances in spinal cord injury research that your team at ICVS has made in recent years?

Our team at ICVS has made several significant contributions to spinal cord injury research in recent years, particularly in the development of cell-free and combinatorial therapies. A major focus has been the therapeutic potential of the secretome, which is a collection of bioactive molecules released by polarized macrophages. Our work using preclinical models of SCI showed the secretome can modulate the immune response, support regeneration, and promote functional recovery.

 

3. As one of the scientific committee members of the "AIM-SCI 2025" conference, what expectations do you have for this conference? What aspects of research on spinal cord injury do you hope it will promote?

I have high expectations for this event. AIM-SCI is not just an international scientific meeting, it also serves as the official gathering of the Portuguese SCI Research Network, bringing together from the across the country the principal investigators working in this field. Our goal is to create a collaborative environment where the national community can connect meaningfully with leading scientists from the US and Europe to foster dialogue, mentorship, and long-term partnerships. By facilitating direct interaction between early-career researchers, senior investigators, and international leaders, we hope to elevate the scientific quality, visibility, and translational potential of research being conducted in Portugal.

 

4. This special issue focuses on the molecular mechanisms and translational research on spinal cord injury. What are the core scientific issues that need to be addressed in this field at present?

Spinal cord injury remains a highly complex clinical challenge. A major unresolved question is how to modulate the post-injury immune response in a way that promotes repair. Moreover, understanding the interactions between neural, immune, and glial cells, and how this crosstalk evolves over time, is crucial for the identification of new therapeutic targets that modulate the injury microenvironment. There is also an urgent need to identify reliable molecular biomarkers for prognosis, treatment response, and injury staging. These would support precision medicine approaches and allow for more tailored therapeutic interventions in clinical trials. Finally, I believe the future of rehabilitation after SCI will be shaped by the use of epidural electrical stimulation (EES). An important next step will be to combine EES with regenerative therapies and rigorously test these combinations in both preclinical and clinical settings.

 

5. For authors who plan to submit their work to this special issue, what specific suggestions do you have? What key elements should they focus on in terms of topic selection, research design, or writing?

For authors planning to contribute to the AIM-SCI 2025 special issue, I strongly encourage them to submit articles that reflect the interdisciplinary, innovative, and translational spirit of the conference. This issue offers a unique opportunity to showcase the most promising directions in spinal cord injury research from both mechanistic and application-oriented perspectives.

 

6. From the perspective of your own research field, what are the main challenges currently faced by academic publishing, and what are the future development trends?

Academic publishing is evolving toward greater openness, collaboration, and accountability. However, it also needs to address systemic barriers that hinder quality and equity. As a community, we should aim for a publishing culture that values scientific integrity, and supports both innovation and reproducibility.

 

We extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Nuno A. Silva for generously sharing his valuable perspectives on the current landscape and future trajectory of spinal cord injury research. His leadership in organizing the AIM-SCI 2025 conference and curating the associated Journal of Integrative Neuroscience: Special Issue has proven instrumental in driving collaborative progress in this vital field. We encourage readers to explore the cutting-edge research featured in the Special Issue "AIM-SCI 2025: Molecular Mechanisms and Translational Research in Spinal Cord Injury" (Advances in Spinal Cord Injury – Insights from AIM-SCI 2025) to gain deeper insights into the innovations and discoveries that are shaping the future of SCI treatment and recovery.

 

[1] AIM-SCI 2025 Conference Speakers | AIM SCI：

AIM-SCI 2025 is an international conference focusing on neuroscience research, with the theme of promoting development and innovation in the field of neuroscience. This conference will bring together global neuroscience experts, researchers and scholars. By sharing the latest research achievements and technological advances, it will promote academic exchange and cooperation, while exploring further the challenges and future research directions in this field. The invited speakers for this conference include Professor Simone Di Giovanni from Imperial College London, Dr. Susan Harkema who conducts research on spinal cord stimulation, and Professor Charles H Hubscher from the University of Louisville. All invited speakers have notable academic credentials and major research experience in the field of neuroscience. They will bring cutting-edge research concepts and unique insights to the conference participants.