Discovery of therapeutic targets for spinal cord injury based on molecular mechanisms of axon regeneration after conditioning lesion

This study explores how nerve pre-injury can trigger axon regeneration, especially in young mice, to find therapies for central nervous system injuries. The researchers analyzed gene expression data from young and old mice after nerve injury to identify key genes and potential drug targets that promote axon regeneration. Telmisartan, a drug identified through this analysis, was shown to promote axon regeneration and improve motor and sensory functions in mice with spinal cord injuries.

• 1
  Identified 693 and 885 DEGs in old and young mice, respectively, after peripheral nerve injury, with shared DEGs involved in inflammatory and immune responses.
• 2
  Agtr1a was identified as a potential therapeutic target for SCI treatment based on bioinformatics analysis of DRG after conditioning lesion.
• 3
  In vivo experiments showed that telmisartan promoted axonal regeneration after SCI by downregulating AGTR1 expression.