Recent update on basic mechanisms of spinal cord injury

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-shattering neurological condition that affects between 250,000 and 500,000 individuals each year with an estimated two to three million people worldwide living with an SCI-related disability. The incidence in the USA and Canada is more than that in other countries with motor vehicle accidents being the most common cause, while violence being most common in the developing nations. Its incidence is two- to fivefold higher in males, with a peak in younger adults. Apart from the economic burden associated with medical care costs, SCI predominantly affects a younger adult population. Therefore, the psychological impact of adaptation of an average healthy individual as a paraplegic or quadriplegic with bladder, bowel, or sexual dysfunction in their early life can be devastating. People with SCI are two to five times more likely to die prematurely, with worse survival rates in low- and middle-income countries. This devastating disorder has a complex and multifaceted mechanism. Recently, a lot of research has been published on the restoration of locomotor activity and the therapeutic strategies. Therefore, it is imperative for the treating physicians to understand the complex underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of SCI.

Jia-Ji Electro-Acupuncture Improves Locomotor Function With Spinal Cord Injury by Regulation of Autophagy Flux and Inhibition of Necroptosis

“…While at 7 day after SCI, inflammatory cells infiltration reducing, hyperplasia of glial cells, and phagocytosis phenomenon of neurons could be seen on HE stain, suggests that microglia have the effect of the removal of necrotic neurons, leaving ghost necrotic neurons observed. These pathological findings are consistent with previous reports (Alexander and Popovich, 2009;Mortazavi et al, 2015;Quadri et al, 2020). The Nissl body is a marker of the functional state of neurons.…”

MCC950, a Selective Inhibitor of NLRP3 Inflammasome, Reduces the Inflammatory Response and Improves Neurological Outcomes in Mice Model of Spinal Cord Injury

“…It has been reported to affect over 2.5 million people worldwide with an annual incidence of 40-60 per million populaces (Kumar et al, 2018;Putatunda et al, 2018). In SCI, after the initial mechanical damages, other pathophysiologic mechanisms occur in the spinal cord, including inflammation, oxidative stress, edema, and mitochondrial dysfunction (Quadri et al, 2018), which work toward post-SCI tissue and functional reconstruction (Hausmann, 2003). Unfortunately, there is currently no effective therapeutic strategy in clinical practice for SCI; further, the regulatory molecular mechanisms underlying SCI remain unclear (Donovan and Kirshblum, 2018).…”

Insight into the divergent role of TRAIL in non‐neoplastic neurological diseases

“…Because the primary mechanical injury is usually instantaneous and unpredictable, it is hard to adopt timely intervention measures. On the contrary, the secondary injury‐induced neurological damage shows a delay phase; therefore, accurately identifying the stage and severity of TBI and SCI is crucial for optimizing the treatment to avoid neurological function impairment 68,69 . Lisa et al recently determined the value of TRAIL along with AXIN1 as potential serum biomarkers in discriminating between TBI and healthy volunteers within the first hour.…”