Ferrostatin‑1 facilitated neurological functional rehabilitation of spinal cord injury mice by inhibiting ferroptosis

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological disorder with high mortality and disability rates. The annual costs associated with it are estimated at 7.7 billion dollars, while the lifetime costs for each patient exceed 3 million dollars. Ferroptosis is a type of cell death characterized by iron requirement and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Recent studies discovered that ferroptosis plays a vital role in SCI, and a ferroptosis inhibitor can effectively protect neurons and promote motor function recovery. Ferrostatin-1 is the first ferroptosis inhibitor, which can bind with lipid ROS and protect cells against lipid peroxidation. Therefore, this new direction may provide a new therapeutic theory and approach for recovering neurological function after SCI.

• 1
  Ferrostatin-1 promoted the rehabilitation of cortical evoked motor potential and BMS scores, synchronized with improvement in the histological manifestation of neuron survival and scar formation.
• 2
  Spinosin disturbed the benefits of ferrostatin-1 administration on histological and neurobehavioral manifestation by deranging the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.
• 3
  Ferrostatin-1 improved the rehabilitation of spinal cord injury mice by regulating ferroptosis through the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.