Frontiers in Immunology, 2023 · DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1101564 · Published: March 29, 2023
This research aims to find immune-related biomarkers in the blood that can help diagnose and assess the severity of spinal cord injuries (SCI). The study analyzes gene expression in blood samples from SCI patients, trauma controls, and healthy individuals to identify differences in immune activity. The researchers used various methods to identify genes and immune cells that are significantly altered in SCI patients compared to healthy controls. They focused on finding biomarkers that could differentiate between different grades of SCI severity, as defined by the American Spinal Injury Society Impairment Scale (AIS). The study identified several potential biomarkers in the blood that could help in the diagnosis and assessment of SCI severity. These biomarkers are involved in immune responses and could potentially be used to develop diagnostic tests for SCI.
The identified biomarkers could be used to develop blood tests for diagnosing SCI and assessing its severity, especially in situations where MRI is not available or feasible.
Understanding the specific immune cell changes associated with different grades of SCI could lead to targeted immunomodulatory therapies to improve outcomes.
These biomarkers could help in personalizing treatment approaches based on the individual's immune profile and the severity of their SCI.