A novel therapeutic target for peripheral nerve injury-related diseases: aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AminoARSs) are key enzymes for protein synthesis, but they also have other roles like controlling cell cycles and sending signals. This study looks at how the levels of different AminoARSs change in the spinal cord after a nerve injury, focusing on their potential as drug targets. The researchers found that after a nerve injury in rats, the levels of three specific AminoARSs - FARSB, IARS, and MARS - increased in the neurons of the spinal cord's dorsal horn. This increase suggests these AminoARSs could be involved in how the body processes pain signals after nerve damage. Because of these findings, the scientists think that FARSB, IARS, and MARS could be targeted with drugs to help treat pain and other problems that arise from nerve injuries. By controlling these enzymes, it might be possible to change how pain signals are sent and received in the spinal cord.

• 1
  Following sciatic nerve axotomy in rats, the mRNA expression of FARSB, IARS, and MARS significantly increased in the injured L4–5 spinal cord compared to control regions.
• 2
  Time course analysis revealed that the expression of FARSB, IARS, and MARS in the dorsal horn on day 1 after nerve injury was significantly increased, and these increases were maintained until 7 days post-injury.
• 3
  In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry confirmed that the increased expression of FARSB, IARS, and MARS mRNA was localized to neuronal cell bodies in the spinal dorsal horn, but not in glial cells.