Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kristina Loy, Julie Fourneau, Ning Meng, Carmen Denecke, Giuseppe Locatelli, Florence M. Bareyre
Summary: In this study, the researchers identified Semaphorin7A (Sema7A) as a critical regulator of serotonergic circuit formation in the injured spinal cord, with Sema7A deficiency leading to an increase in serotonergic fiber density. While these alterations seem to be compensated in adult mice, spinal lesion challenge revealed changes in serotonergic innervation patterns, correlating with diminished functional recovery.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Benita Jin, Monzurul Alam, Alexa Tierno, Hui Zhong, Roland R. Roy, Yury Gerasimenko, Daniel C. Lu, V. Reggie Edgerton
Summary: Serotonergic agents, specifically buspirone and fluoxetine, have shown to improve forelimb motor function recovery after spinal cord injury in adult female rats. Buspirone treatment led to rapid improvement in reaching and grasping success rates, while fluoxetine treatment resulted in a more progressive improvement in forelimb performance over time. However, both treatments did not significantly improve quadrupedal locomotion.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Katarzyna Pieczonka, Hiroaki Nakashima, Narihito Nagoshi, Kazuya Yokota, James Hong, Anna Badner, Jonathon C. T. Chio, Shinsuke Shibata, Mohamad Khazaei, Michael G. Fehlings
Summary: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes the loss of neurons and glial cells. Current interventions for SCI lack regenerative solutions. Neural stem/progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation is a promising strategy for regeneration but inconsistent differentiation hinders functional recovery. This study generated oligodendrogenically biased NPCs (oNPCs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and demonstrated their effectiveness in a rodent model of cervical SCI, showing enhanced tissue preservation, remyelination, and functional recovery without adverse effects. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of oNPCs in cervical SCI and call for further investigation to optimize this approach.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jadwiga N. Bilchak, Guillaume Caron, Marie-Pascale Cote
Summary: Exercise is the superior therapy for most SCI sequalae, influencing peripheral health and CNS disorders by activating relevant neural pathways. Recent research has focused on understanding the molecular underpinnings of exercise-induced effects, particularly the increase in neurotrophins, to enhance intervention strategies and improve quality of life for SCI-affected individuals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Jun Zhou, Yaqi Wu, Zhijian Tang, Kaipeng Zou, Juan Chen, Zuowei Lei, Xueyan Wan, Yanchao Liu, Huaqiu Zhang, Yu Wang, Armin Blesch, Ting Lei, Shengwen Liu
Summary: Studies have shown that alginate capillary hydrogels can fill the lesion cavity and promote axonal regeneration after grafting into the injured spinal cord. Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) can survive, proliferate, and differentiate into neurons within the capillaries in vitro. In animal experiments, a portion of the grafted cells can survive and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, the grafted cells can promote the growth of host axons, form putative synapses with host neurons, improve electrophysiological conductivity, and partially restore locomotor function.
REGENERATIVE BIOMATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Taoyang Yuan, Yu Shao, Xu Zhou, Qian Liu, Zhichao Zhu, Bini Zhou, Yuanchen Dong, Nicholas Stephanopoulos, Songbai Gui, Hao Yan, Dongsheng Liu
Summary: Researchers have developed a DNA hydrogel to repair spinal cord gap in rats, promoting proliferation and differentiation of stem cells for functional recovery. This hydrogel system shows great potential in clinical trials and could be adaptable to other tissue regeneration applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fangliang Guo, Xiaolong Zheng, Ziyu He, Ruoying Zhang, Song Zhang, Minghuan Wang, Hong Chen, Wei Wang
Summary: The study found that long-term treatment with NMD helps to improve locomotion, pain-related behaviors, and spasticity-like symptoms in rats with SCI, but has less effect on open-field activity, hind limb grip strength, and bladder function. Additionally, NMD-treated rats showed greater tissue preservation, reduced lesion areas, and increased perilesional neuronal sparing, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for SCI treatment.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
D. Leonardo Garcia-Ramirez, Ngoc T. Ha, Steve Bibu, Nicholas J. Stachowski, Kimberly J. Dougherty
Summary: The impact of spinal cord injury on Shox2 interneurons mainly manifests as changes in sensory afferent input pathways and modulation of Shox2 interneurons by 5-HT, enhancing excitatory responses.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Soshi Samejima, Richard Henderson, Jared Pradarelli, Sarah E. Mondello, Chet T. Moritz
Summary: Spinal cord injuries often result in permanent physical impairments despite being incomplete disruptions. However, remaining connections between the brain and spinal cord can induce neural plasticity to improve sensorimotor function, even years post-injury. This review provides an overview of evidence for motor recovery, plasticity, and interventions in spinal cord stimulation for motor control restoration. It discusses both open-loop and closed-loop stimulation approaches, as well as mechanisms of spinal cord neuromodulation for sensorimotor recovery, aiming to advance rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sisi Mi, Xue Wang, Jiaxin Gao, Yu Liu, Zhongquan Qi
Summary: After spinal cord injury (SCI), the microenvironment inhibits neural regeneration due to the abundance of inhibitory factors and lack of factors promoting nerve regeneration. This study developed a bioactive material, hp-SHED sheet, to mimic the natural spinal cord structure and enhance nerve cell attachment and migration. Implantation of hp-SHED sheet in SCI rats promoted nerve regeneration, axonal remyelination, and inhibited glial scarring, leading to the restoration of sensory and motor functions.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Gaetan Poulen, Emilie Aloy, Claire M. Bringuier, Nadine Mestre-Frances, Emaelle V. F. Artus, Maida Cardoso, Jean-Christophe Perez, Christophe Goze-Bac, Hassan Boukhaddaoui, Nicolas Lonjon, Yannick N. Gerber, Florence E. Perrin
Summary: By using the CSF1R inhibitor GW2580, transient reduction of microglia proliferation can improve motor function recovery in SCI patients. The treatment also helps reduce neuroinflammation and enhance tissue protection.
Article
Neurosciences
Wu Jiang, Fan He, Guoming Ding, Junsong Wu
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of the novel mitochondria-targeted peptide EPT in spinal cord injury (SCI). The results showed that EPT improved locomotor functional recovery and reduced neuronal loss. EPT also inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, EPT alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species level. Therefore, EPT may protect against SCI by inhibiting pyroptosis.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wu Jiang, Fan He, Guoming Ding, Junsong Wu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of Top1 inhibition in a spinal cord injury (SCI) model. The results showed that administration of the Top1 inhibitor CPT improved locomotor functional recovery, reduced neuronal loss, and decreased neutrophil infiltration in mice with SCI. Additionally, CPT inhibited pyroptosis and suppressed neuroinflammation both in vivo and in vitro.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Rakib Uddin Ahmed, V. Reggie Edgerton, Shuai Li, Yong-Ping Zheng, Monzurul Alam
Summary: This study investigated the dose-response of Buspirone treatment on reaching and grasping function in cervical cord injured rats, showing that the lowest dose group had the best performance in reaching scores and grip strength.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shiva Hashemizadeh, Zeinab Gharaylou, Saereh Hosseindoost, Maryam Sardari, Ameneh Omidi, Hassan Hosseini Ravandi, Mahmoudreza Hadjighassem
Summary: This study found that early administration of bumetanide after spinal cord injury can promote recovery of locomotor function. The results showed that bumetanide can reduce the expression of NKCC1 gene and increase GAP protein levels, thereby having neuroprotective and regenerative effects.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)