Application of stem cells and chitosan in the repair of spinal cord injury

•Stem cell-based transplantation strategy possesses significant role in repairing spinal cord injury.•Chitosan scaffolds enhance the adhesion, proliferation and neural differentiation of grafted stem cells in vitro and in vivo.•Application of chitosan could up-regulate neurotrophic factors which are beneficial to repair of spinal cord injury.•Scaffolds and carriers prepared by chitosan could sustain release of neurotrophic factors/RNAs for a long time.