Chinese Academy of Sciences Jun 24 2026 Reviewed SCI often causes long-term motor and sensory deficits because the damaged tissue does not simply heal like many peripheral tissues. After injury, astrocytes, fibroblasts, immune cells, blood vessels, and extracellular matrix (ECM) components form a complex lesion microenvironment. In the acute stage, scar formation can limit inflammation and preserve structural stability, but persistent fibroblast activation and ECM deposition later create a