Inflammatory response in traumatic brain and spinal cord injury: The role of XCL1-­XCR1 axis and T cells

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) are injuries to the central nervous system caused by external forces, leading to impairments and potential long-term disability. The inflammatory response contributes significantly to secondary injury in TBI and SCI, prolonging the post-CNS trauma period and becoming a potential therapeutic intervention. This review aims to provide an overview of the role of the XCL1-XCR1 axis and the T-cell response in inflammation caused by TBI and SCI and identify potential targets for therapy.

• 1
  This study examines the upstream and downstream pathways involved in inflammation caused by TBI and SCI, including interleukins, T cells, NK cells, XCL1, XCR1+ dendritic cells, and interferon-gamma, describing their proinflammatory effect.
• 2
  The findings suggest that the XCL1-XCR1 axis and the T-cell response have great potential for preclinical investigations and treatments for TBI and SCI.
• 3
  Following SCI, there is a rapid surge in interleukin-15 (IL-15) within 24 h of injury, which can attract CD8+ T cells and NK cells to the spinal cord injury site.