A traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) not only damages local neurons but also severs passing axons that connect the brain to the spinal cord below the lesion. Strikingly, although injured axons fail to regenerate, most types of neurons that extend axons into the spinal cord survive for a long time. This has stimulated numerous efforts toward the development of pro-regenerative treatments. In general, these interventions belong to two categories: improving the local environment to support axon regeneration and elevating the intrinsic regenerative capacity of the injured neurons. This review will focus on the intrinsic neuronal mechanisms, summarizing current advancements, challenges, and future directions.