Open AccessAltered leukocyte gene expression after traumatic spinal cord injury: clinical implications
Author(s) -
Paige E. Herman,
Ona Bloom
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
neural regeneration research/neural regeneration research
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.93
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1876-7958
pISSN - 1673-5374
DOI - 10.4103/1673-5374.237112
Subject(s) - spinal cord injury , medicine , inflammation , immune system , disease , immunology , population , neuropathic pain , bioinformatics , diabetes mellitus , spinal cord , neuroscience , pathology , biology , anesthesia , psychiatry , environmental health , endocrinology
In addition to changes in motor and sensory function, individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience immunological changes. These changes are clinically significant, as infections are the leading cause of death for this population. Along with increased infections, inflammation is commonly observed in persons with SCI, where it may promote many common medical consequences. These include elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, impaired wound healing, diabetes and neuropathic pain. It has also been proposed that chronic inflammation dampens neurological recovery. In order to identify therapeutic strategies to improve immune function, we need a greater understanding of the molecular changes that occur in immune cells after SCI. The purpose of this mini-review is to discuss two recent studies that used functional genomics to investigate gene expression in circulating leukocytes isolated from persons with SCI. In the future, the molecular pathways that are altered after SCI may be targeted to improve immunological function, as well as overall health and functional recovery, after SCI.