CSF Proteomics of Secondary Phase Spinal Cord Injury in Human Subjects: Perturbed Molecular Pathways Post Injury

This study analyzes the proteins found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) to understand the molecular changes that occur after the initial injury. The researchers compared the protein profiles of patients with complete and incomplete SCI at different time points post-injury (1-8 days and 15-60 days) to identify proteins that show different abundance levels. By identifying these proteins, the study aims to understand the molecular pathways that are disrupted or activated after SCI, which could lead to new therapeutic targets to limit neural degeneration and improve recovery.

• 1
  Eight proteins showed differential abundance between complete and incomplete SCI at 1–8 days post-injury.
• 2
  Haptoglobin and Zinc alpha 2 glycoprotein showed a reversal in their abundance profiles between 1–8 days and 15–60 days post-injury, suggesting a potential role in the early secondary injury phase.
• 3
  Pathway analysis revealed that mRNA metabolism, tRNA and rRNA transcription, protein phosphorylation, lipid catabolism, immune response, iron transport, DNA repair and ATP catabolism pathways are perturbed in complete SCI.