Electroacupuncture-Regulated miR-34a-3p/PDCD6 Axis Promotes Post-Spinal Cord Injury Recovery in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Settings

This study investigates how electroacupuncture (EA) and a specific molecule, miR-34a-3p, can help in recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). It focuses on how these factors affect neural stem cells (NSCs) and a protein called PDCD6. The research found that miR-34a-3p, influenced by EA, can promote the growth and specialization of NSCs. This process involves suppressing PDCD6, which is linked to cell death. By reducing PDCD6, miR-34a-3p encourages the NSCs to develop into neurons and other supportive cells, aiding in the repair of the injured spinal cord. The study suggests that targeting the miR-34a-3p/PDCD6 pathway could be a new way to treat SCI. Electroacupuncture's benefits may come from its ability to influence this pathway, leading to nerve regeneration and improved function after spinal cord injury.

• 1
  miR-34a-3p might promote the in vitro differentiation of neural stem cell (NSC) through suppressing PDCD6 and regulating other important neural markers such as fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), MAP1/2 (MAP kinase kinases 1/2), myelin basic protein (MBP), βIII-tubulin Class III β-tubulin (βIII tubulin), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).
• 2
  In the post-SCI rat model, exogenous miR-34a-3p agomir obviously inhibited the expression of PDCD6 at the protein level and promoted neuronal proliferation, motoneurons regeneration, and axonal myelination.
• 3
  The impact of miR-34a-3p was further promoted by EA treatment in vivo, suggesting that a miR-34a-3p/PDCD6 axis might be a candidate therapeutic target for treating SCI and that the therapeutic effect of EA is driven through this pathway.