Tune the cord into right chords—activating a “paralyzed” immune system by silencing thoracic interneuron

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in devastating impairment of motor function. An under-appreciated yet equally important complication in chronic SCI is infection. The increased risk of infection in patients living with SCI has traditionally been attributed to motor-paralysis such as dysphagia or neurogenic bladder resulting in pneumonia or urinary tract infection. However, a condition known as SCI-induced immune depression syndrome is thought to decrease adaptive and innate immunity, leading to increased susceptibility to infections (1). A study by Ueno et al ., seeks to elucidate the cellular mechanism of this phenomenon (2).