Article
Immunology
Andrew D. Gaudet, Laura K. Fonken, Monica T. Ayala, Steven F. Maier, Linda R. Watkins
Summary: Aging increases susceptibility to pain and death after SCI in mice, while deletion of miR-155 reduces pain symptoms and mortality. Aging mice exhibit heightened heat sensitivity and evoked pain symptoms, highlighting the importance of studying geriatric models of SCI.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giuseppe Forte, Valentina Giuffrida, Angelica Scuderi, Mariella Pazzaglia
Summary: Neuropathic pain is a common chronic condition that severely affects patients with spinal cord injuries. Current treatment options are limited, but nanomedicine shows potential for improving therapeutic efficacy. However, its application in treating neuropathic pain following spinal cord injuries still needs further improvement.
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
Sydney E. Lee, Emily K. Greenough, Laura K. Fonken, Andrew D. Gaudet
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to anxiety and chronic pain. The newly developed TIDAL conflict test allows for better evaluation of anxiety and pain behaviors in SCI patients, with female mice showing greater preference for the heated-dark plate in the test.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Luciana Mendonca Barbosa, Fernanda da Valerio, Samira Luisa Apostolos Pereira, Valquiria Aparecida da Silva, Antonia Lilian de Lima Rodrigues, Ricardo Galhardoni, Lin Tchia Yeng, Jefferson Rosi Jr, Adriana Bastos Conforto, Leandro Tavares Lucato, Marcelo Delboni Lemos, Manoel Jacobsen Teixeira, Daniel Ciampi de Andrade
Summary: This study examined the relationships between symptoms and somatosensory profiles in patients with central neuropathic pain (CNP) caused by different types of lesions to the central nervous system. The results suggest that CNP of different etiologies may have different pain descriptors and somatosensory profiles, likely due to differences in lesion locations.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Eric Brown, Ayma F. Malik, Elizabeth R. Moese, Abigail F. McElroy, Angelo C. Lepore
Summary: Neuropathic pain (NP) is a common and debilitating comorbidity of spinal cord injury (SCI). This study investigates the neural activity changes in the pain circuitry following cervical spinal cord injury. The findings reveal complex changes in neuronal activation, with increased activation in some neurons and decreased activation in inhibitory neurons.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nazli Turan Yucel, Ummuhan Kandemir, Umut Irfan Ucel, Umide Demir Ozkay, Ozgur Devrim Can
Summary: The therapeutic potential of vortioxetine on mechanical hyperalgesia/allodynia was investigated in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes, and its possible mechanism of action was elucidated in this study. The findings demonstrated that vortioxetine administration significantly improved diabetes-induced hyperalgesia and allodynia responses in the rats without affecting their motor coordination. The involvement of the catecholaminergic system, alpha(2)- and beta(2)-adrenoceptors, D-2/3 dopaminergic receptors and cholinergic muscarinic receptors in the exhibited pharmacological activity was suggested.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Silvia Castany, Anna Bago-Mas, Jose Miguel Vela, Enrique Verdu, Karolina Bretova, Viktorie Svobodova, Petr Dubovy, Pere Boadas-Vaello
Summary: This study aimed to determine whether neuroinflammatory factor over-expression in the spinal cord and supraspinal structures may be associated with reflexive and nonreflexive pain response development from acute spinal cord injury (SCI) phase to 12 weeks post-injury in female mice. The results show that transient reflexive responses were observed during the SCI acute phase associated with transient cytokine overexpression in the spinal cord. In contrast, increased nonreflexive pain responses were observed in the chronic phase associated with cytokine overexpression in supraspinal structures, especially in mPFC. In addition, results revealed the contribution of neuron-glia crosstalk in the development of nonreflexive pain responses in the chronic spinal cord injury phase, as indicated by increased glial activation and CX3CL1/CX3CR1 upregulation in the neurons in the mPFC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Orthopedics
Tengbin Shi, Zhengxi Yu, Zhi Chen, Dingwei Wu, Zhenyu Wang, Wenge Liu
Summary: This retrospective study investigates the impact of the time from injury to surgery on the development of neuropathic pain in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury. It finds that early surgical intervention can effectively prevent neuropathic pain in patients with incomplete traumatic spinal cord injury. Age, Injury Severity Score, and neurological level of injury are identified as independent risk factors associated with the development of neuropathic pain.
JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY AND RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Jing Chen, Norbert Weidner, Radhika Puttagunta
Summary: Physical activity-based rehabilitative interventions are important in treating neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury (SCI). Animal models have shown that these interventions can modulate inflammatory-related changes and induce structural and functional changes in the spinal cord circuitry. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind this beneficial effect are not yet fully understood and further research is needed to develop individualized rehabilitative therapies.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Eva Widerstrom-Noga, Kimberly D. Anderson, Linda E. Robayo, Salome Perez, Alberto Martinez-Arizala, Lindsey Calle-Coule, Nicholas P. Cherup, Gabriel E. Fernandez
Summary: Many people with spinal cord injury (SCI) suffer from chronic pain, including neuropathic pain, which is often difficult to treat due to its complex nature. A multimodal approach, involving pharmacological treatments, physical rehabilitation, cognitive training, and pain education, may be the most effective strategy for managing pain in this population. This study developed an educational resource called SeePain, which was evaluated and modified based on stakeholder input, including SCI patients, their loved ones, and healthcare providers. The final resource is a comprehensive guide intended to improve health literacy and enhance communication between SCI patients and their healthcare providers. Future research will validate the effectiveness of SeePain using a large sample of SCI patients.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
John E. Gilbert, Tianhe Zhang, Rosana Esteller, Warren M. Grill
Summary: Temporal patterns of spinal cord stimulation designed using a computational model could effectively inhibit pain-related neuronal activity and potentially increase the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jan Rosner, Michael Negraeff, Lise M. Belanger, Angela Tsang, Leanna Ritchie, Jean-Marc Mac-Thiong, Sean Christie, Jefferson R. Wilson, Sanjay Dhall, Raphaele Charest-Morin, John Street, Tamir Ailon, Scott Paquette, Nicolas Dea, Charles G. Fisher, Marcel F. Dvorak, Nanna B. Finnerup, Brian K. Kwon, John L. K. Kramer
Summary: There is a lack of information about neuropathic pain in the early stages of spinal cord injury. This study used the DN4 questionnaire to assess neuropathic pain in patients within the first 5 days of injury and at follow-up times up to 12 months. The results showed that both at- and below-level neuropathic pain were reported in the early stages, and late presenting neuropathic pain had different characteristics compared to hyperacute pain. These findings are important for clinical trial design and understanding the mechanisms of neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury.
Article
Anesthesiology
Zina Trost, Monima Anam, Joshua Seward, Corey Shum, Deanna Rumble, John Sturgeon, Victor Mark, Yuying Chen, Lucie Mitchell, Rachel Cowan, Robert Perera, Elizabeth Richardson, Scott Richards, Sylvia Gustin
Summary: This study explores the feasibility and efficacy of an interactive virtual reality walking intervention for reducing chronic neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury patients. The results show that the interactive group had significantly greater reductions in pain intensity and pain-related activity interference, as well as notable improvements in mood and affect. Further replication in larger randomized clinical trials is needed to validate these preliminary findings and investigate the mechanisms and clinical applications of virtual walking therapies.
Article
Neurosciences
You-You Lv, Han Wang, Hai-Ting Fan, Ting Xu, Wen-Jun Xin, Rui-Xian Guo
Summary: The present study found that SUMOylation of spinal Kir7.1 may contribute to the development of mechanical allodynia in neuropathic pain by decreasing the surface expression of Kir7.1.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Marc Leal-Julia, Jorge J. Vilches, Andrea Onieva, Sergi Verdes, Angela Sanchez, Miguel Chillon, Xavier Navarro, Assumpcio Bosch
Summary: This study characterized the proteome of neural tissues in a type 2 diabetes mouse model and identified differential protein expression profiles related to reduced glycolytic and TCA cycle metabolism, increased lipid catabolism, dysregulation of muscle-like proteins, altered cytoskeleton-related proteins, activation of inflammatory responses, and changes in glutathione metabolism and oxidative stress. These findings suggest that energy deficiency may play a key role in the neurodegeneration observed in diabetic neuropathy.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Miguel A. Rubio, Mireia Herrando-Grabulosa, Roser Velasco, Israel Blasco, Monica Povedano, Xavier Navarro
Summary: This study found increased levels of TDP-43 in the skin of ALS patients, which may serve as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of ALS.
Article
Neurosciences
Georgina Palomes-Borrajo, Xavier Navarro, Clara Penas
Summary: This study demonstrates that inhibiting BET proteins in macrophages can enhance axonal outgrowth and promote peripheral nerve regeneration. However, specific targeting of BET proteins to macrophages is needed for efficient functional recovery after nerve injury.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miguel A. Rubio, Mireia Herrando-Grabulosa, Nuria Gaja-Capdevila, Jorge J. Vilches, Xavier Navarro
Summary: The loss of cutaneous small fibers, characteristic of ALS patients, has also been observed in SOD1(G93A) mice. This study aims to characterize the involvement of different somatosensory neuron populations in the mice and analyze the temporal progression of the sensory involvement. The findings suggest that cutaneous sensory axons are affected in SOD1(G93A) mice, with non-peptidergic axons being more vulnerable than peptidergic axons.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Patrick Cottilli, Nuria Gaja-Capdevila, Xavier Navarro
Summary: This study evaluated the potential effects of Sig-1R ligands on axonal regeneration in a mouse model of nerve injury. The results showed that treatment with Sig-1R ligands did not significantly alter the process of axonal regeneration, but did play a role in sensory perception and regulation of inflammatory cell infiltration.
Article
Neurosciences
Estefania Contreras, Sara Bolivar, Xavier Navarro, Esther Udina
Summary: Neurons in the peripheral nervous system have the ability to regenerate their axons after injury by triggering a complex activation response. Schwann cells (SCs) play an active role in regulating axonal programs and orchestrating Wallerian degeneration and axonal regeneration through both cell-to-cell contacts and secreted signals. The secretome, which includes proteins, cytokines, growth factors, and extracellular vesicles, facilitates communication and is essential for axonal regeneration. The use of secretome has emerged as a promising alternative to cell therapy, reducing the risks associated with cell use. In this review, the roles of SC and macrophage secretomes in peripheral nerve injury are discussed, along with the use of secretomes in experimental models to enhance nerve regeneration.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nuria Gaja-Capdevila, Neus Hernandez, Sandra Yeste, Raquel F. Reinoso, Javier Burgueno, Ana Montero, Manuel Merlos, Jose M. Vela, Mireia Herrando-Grabulosa, Xavier Navarro
Summary: The Sig-1R ligands, EST79232 and EST79376, have different effects on protecting against motor neuron degeneration, with EST79232 showing better efficacy in multiple models.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Joaquim Vives, Joaquim Hernandez, Clementine Mirabel, Maria Puigdomenech-Poch, David Romeo-Guitart, Sara Marmolejo-Martinez-Artesero, Raquel Cabrera-Perez, Jessica Jaramillo, Hatice Kumru, Joan Garcia-Lopez, Joan Vidal-Samso, Xavier Navarro, Ruth Coll-Bonet
Summary: The study demonstrated the safety and efficacy of MSC from the Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord for treating spinal cord injury in an animal model, showing early promotion of locomotion recovery.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fernando Cavalcanti, Elena Gonzalez-Rey, Mario Delgado, Clara P. Falo, Leyre Mestre, Carmen Guaza, Francisco O'Valle, Michele M. P. Lufino, Jordi Xaus, Cristina Mascaro, Serena Lunardi, Natalia Sacilotto, Paola Dessanti, David Rotllant, Xavier Navarro, Mireia Herrando-Grabulosa, Carlos Buesa, Tamara Maes
Summary: The drug ORY-2001 has shown promising potential in targeting neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases by inhibiting the enzyme KDM1A. It ameliorates clinical symptoms, reduces lymphocyte egress, prevents demyelination, and induces gene expression changes associated with neuroprotection. It also reduces neuronal damage caused by glutamate excitotoxicity.
Correction
Immunology
Judith Sanchez-Ventura, Jesus Amo-Aparicio, Xavier Navarro, Clara Penas
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Estefania Contreras, Sara Traserra, Sara Bolivar, Joaquim Fores, Eduard Jose-Cunilleras, Ignacio Delgado-Martinez, Felix Garcia, Esther Udina, Xavier Navarro
Summary: This study used sheep as a model to investigate the repair of long-gap peripheral nerve injuries through autograft transplantation. Functional evaluation, electromyographic and ultrasound tests were performed. The results suggest that sheep nerve repair is a useful model for studying such injuries.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Ariadna Arbat-Plana, Sara Bolivar, Xavier Navarro, Esther Udina, Francisco J. Alvarez
Summary: Peripheral nerve injuries result in the retraction of Ia synapses from a-motoneurons, impairing functional recovery and correlating with injury severity and muscle reinnervation efficiency. This study analyzed VGluT1-labeled Ia synapses after nerve crush in 10-day-old rats and found a large loss of synapses similar to more severe injuries in adults. The mechanism of synapse loss in young animals may be associated with higher microglia synaptic pruning activity and results in greater losses after milder nerve injuries.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Simone Romeni, Elena Losanno, Elisabeth Koert, Luca Pierantoni, Ignacio Delgado-Martinez, Xavier Navarro, Silvestro Micera
Summary: Peripheral nerve interfaces have the potential to restore sensory, motor, and visceral functions. We propose an optimization workflow that can guide pre-surgical planning and determine maximally selective multisite stimulation protocols for intraneural implants. Our method utilizes hybrid models and machine learning to optimize implant geometry, insertion, and stimulation protocols, leading to high selectivity and potential for motor function restoration.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Eugenio Redolfi-Riva, Miriam Perez-Izquierdo, Ciro Zinno, Estefania Contreras, Bruno Rodriguez-Meana, Federica Iberite, Leonardo Ricotti, Silvestro Micera, Xavier Navarro
Summary: This study introduces a novel design of nerve conduit composed of a chitosan porous matrix and a 3D-printed poly-& epsilon;-caprolactone mesh. The conduits show high controllability and can support nerve regeneration, enabling the repair of long nerve defects. Animal experiments demonstrate muscle functional recovery and abundant cellularization and axon regeneration within the conduits, suggesting their potential to overcome the limitations of autograft for repairing long nerve gaps.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sergi Verdes, Mireia Herrando-Grabulosa, Ruben Guerrero-Yague, Joan Roig-Soriano, Nuria Gaja-Capdevila, Marc Leal-Julia, Andrea Onieva, Laura Rodriguez-Estevez, Javier Del Rey, Neus Hernandez, Miguel Chillon, Xavier Navarro, Assumpcio Bosch
