Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects approximately 200,000 individuals per year worldwide. There are more than 27 million people worldwide living with long-term disability due to SCI. Historically, it was thought that the central nervous system (CNS) had little ability for regeneration; however, more recent studies have demonstrated potential for repair within the CNS. Because of this, there exists a renewed interest in the discovery of novel approaches to promote regeneration in the CNS including the spinal cord. It is important to know the roles of the microRNAs (miRNAs) in modulation of pathogenesis in SCI and the potentials of the miRNA-based clinical interventions for controlling post-injury symptoms and improving functional recovery. The miRNAs, which are non-coding RNAs with an average of 22 nucleotides in length, are post-transcriptional gene regulators that cause degradation of the target mRNAs and thus negatively control their translation. This review article focuses on current research related to miRNAs and their roles in modulating SCI symptoms, asserting that miRNAs contribute to critical post-SCI molecular processes including neuroplasticity, functional recovery, astrogliosis, neuropathic pain, inflammation, and apoptosis. In particular, miR-96 provides a promising therapeutic opportunity to improve the outcomes of clinical interventions, including the way SCI injuries are evaluated and treated.
Highlights
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results from contusion/compression or transection of the spinal cord
This review article mainly focuses on recent research related to changes in expression of miRNAs following induction of SCI and effects of modulation of levels of miRNAs on critical molecular processes including neuroplasticity, astrogliosis, neuropathic pain, inflammation, apoptosis, and functional recovery in SCI
There is evidence showing that miR-96 causes a reduction in the levels of both FOXO1 and FOXO3a for promoting cell proliferation[80], an effect that can be further investigated for neuroprotection and regeneration in SCI
Summary
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results from contusion/compression or transection of the spinal cord. This review article mainly focuses on recent research related to changes in expression of miRNAs following induction of SCI and effects of modulation of levels of miRNAs on critical molecular processes including neuroplasticity, astrogliosis, neuropathic pain, inflammation, apoptosis, and functional recovery in SCI. Recent studies confirm that expression of miR-96 is dramatically decreased after SCI, favoring induction of apoptosis due to increase in expression of its targets, which are pro-apoptotic proteins[59] Another recent research showed that increase in expression of miR-96 suppressed microglia activation marker proteins and inhibited inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β to promote recovery in SCI[60]. There is evidence showing that miR-96 causes a reduction in the levels of both FOXO1 and FOXO3a for promoting cell proliferation[80], an effect that can be further investigated for neuroprotection and regeneration in SCI
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