Review
Immunology
Yuanliang Xia, Jianshu Zhu, Ruohan Yang, Hengyi Wang, Yuehong Li, Changfeng Fu
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) has a significant impact on patient health, and the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) shows promise in treating SCI. Preclinical studies have shown positive results, but the effectiveness of MSCs in clinical practice remains controversial. More research is needed to address the challenges and potential applications of MSCs in the treatment of SCI.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Harun Najib Noristani
Summary: This article describes the different response of ascending dorsal column axons and descending corticospinal tract (CST) axons after spinal cord injury (SCI), as well as the efficacy of molecules targeting intrinsic axon regeneration in promoting their regrowth. Accumulating evidence suggests important differences in regenerative response between dorsal column and CST axons when targeting intrinsic pro-regenerative molecules.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
He Shen, Caixia Fan, Zhifeng You, Zhifeng Xiao, Yannan Zhao, Jianwu Dai
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to the loss of motor and sensory functions and understanding the pathophysiological changes and inhibitory microenvironment is crucial for potential mechanisms of functional restoration. Implantation of functionalized biomaterials and transplantation of spinal cord tissue grafts have shown promising results for SCI repair, opening up new avenues for treatment.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Ziming Li, Qiaoxuan Wang, Haijun Hu, Weiwei Zheng, Changyou Gao
Summary: Traumatic SCI often leads to restricted behavior recovery and paralysis. However, regulating the inflammatory microenvironment can promote nerve regeneration, offering hope for successful tissue regeneration and restoration of normal function.
BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Orthopedics
Peng Peng, Hao Yu, Yongjin Li, Jingyuan Huang, Shengyu Yao, Cong Xing, Weixiao Liu, Bin Zhang, Shiqing Feng
Summary: SCI is a severe disease with high mortality and morbidity globally, lacking effective therapeutic interventions. Recent studies have shown that circRNAs play a crucial role in neural tissues and are closely related to the pathophysiology of SCI.
JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC TRANSLATION
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Femke Mussen, Jana Van Broeckhoven, Niels Hellings, Melissa Schepers, Tim Vanmierlo
Summary: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by severe neuroinflammation and hampered neuroregeneration. Current therapies have limited effectiveness, so new strategies targeting the initial inflammatory reactions and promoting endogenous repair are crucial. Adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) regulates these processes and inhibiting its hydrolyzing enzyme phosphodiesterase (PDE) has shown promise in modulating inflammation and promoting regeneration. This review focuses on the immunomodulatory and neuroregenerative role of cAMP-specific PDE inhibition in SCI.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Yinxing Cui, Shihuan Cheng, Xiaowei Chen, Guoxing Xu, Ningyi Ma, He Li, Hong Zhang, Zhenlan Li
Summary: Stroke and spinal cord injury are common neurological disorders that can cause various dysfunctions. Motor dysfunction is a common dysfunction that easily leads to complications such as joint stiffness and muscle contracture and markedly impairs the daily living activities and long-term prognosis of patients. Orthotic devices can prevent or compensate for motor dysfunctions.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ha Neui Kim, Madeline R. McCrea, Shuxin Li
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects a significant number of people annually, and there is currently no cure. Researchers have designed various therapeutic approaches for SCI by targeting its cellular or molecular pathophysiology. This review focuses on the major advances in preclinical molecular therapies for SCI reported in recent years.
EXPERT OPINION ON THERAPEUTIC TARGETS
(2023)
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
Fan Bie, Kaiyang Wang, Tao Xu, Jishan Yuan, Hua Ding, Bin Lv, Yuwen Liu, Min Lan
Summary: Studies have shown that circRNAs are highly expressed in the spinal cord and play key roles in various neurological disease processes. Recent research has emerged on the role of circRNAs in SCI, leading to continued relevant studies. The analysis of circRNAs in affecting the processes of SCI and their potential clinical value as therapeutic targets has been conducted.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Laurens Roolfs, Vanessa Hubertus, Jacob Spinnen, Lennard K. Shopperly, Michael G. Fehlings, Peter Vajkoczy
Summary: This article reviews the process of vascular injury and repair following spinal cord injury (SCI) and summarizes current experimental therapeutic approaches targeting spinal cord microvasculature. These approaches include the application of angiogenic factors, genetic engineering, physical stimulation, cell transplantation, and biomaterials carrying various factor delivery. Combinatorial approaches using implanted biomaterials and angiogenic factor delivery show promise for clinical translation.
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Francisco Javier Rodriguez-Jimenez, Pavla Jendelova, Slaven Erceg
Summary: Ependymal cells, dormant progenitors in the spinal cord, undergo significant changes following spinal cord injury (SCI). The understanding of molecular events that activate ependymal cells after SCI is crucial for controlling the regenerative response in damaged tissues. This review focuses on cell adhesion molecules, cellular membrane receptors, ion channels, and transcription factors that mediate SCI-induced activation of ependymal cells. The coordinated expression of receptors and ion channels regulates ependymal cell activation and may contribute to cellular replacement and tissue regeneration after SCI.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiran Li, Ting Dong, Zhiwei Li, Shilei Ni, Fang Zhou, Olawale A. Alimi, Shaojuan Chen, Bin Duan, Mitchell Kuss, Shaohua Wu
Summary: Spinal cord injury is a devastating neurological condition, and neural tissue engineering combined with electrospinning technique shows great potential for its treatment.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Min Jung Kwon, Yeojin Seo, Hana Cho, Hyung Soon Kim, Young Joo Oh, Simay Geniscan, Minjae Kim, Hee Hwan Park, Eun-Hye Joe, Myung-Hee Kwon, Han Chang Kang, Byung Gon Kim
Summary: Preconditioning nerve injury can enhance axonal regeneration of DRG neurons by activating pro-regenerative perineuronal macrophages. This study reveals that oncomodulin (ONCM) produced from regeneration-associated macrophages strongly influences the regeneration of DRG sensory axons. Delivery of ONCM using a nanogel system can promote sensory axon regeneration following spinal cord injury.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Zhifeng You, Xu Gao, Xinyi Kang, Wen Yang, Tiandi Xiong, Yue Li, Feng Wei, Yan Zhuang, Ting Zhang, Yifu Sun, He Shen, Jianwu Dai
Summary: Neural regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI) is closely related to the formation of microvascular endothelial cells (MECs) mediated neurovascular unit. This study established a method for isolating primary spinal cord-derived MECs (SCMECs) with high cell yield and purity to investigate their therapeutic effects on SCI. Transcriptomics and proteomics identified differentially expressed genes and proteins in SCMECs that were involved in angiogenesis, immunity, metabolism, and cell adhesion molecular signaling. SCMECs and brain-derived MECs (BMECs) showed different levels of angiogenesis and promoted proliferation, migration, and differentiation of spinal cord or brain-derived neural stem cells (SNSC/BNSC). SCMECs in combination with the NeuroRegen scaffold showed higher effectiveness in promoting vascular reconstruction and neuronal regeneration compared to BMECs, possibly through the VEGF/AKT/eNOS-signaling pathway.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
