Cnicin: a promising drug for promoting nerve repair

Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries frequently result in irreversible functional deficits. While neurons possess an intrinsic capacity for axonal regeneration, the temporal constraints and the slow pace of neurite outgrowth often impede the complete restoration of sensory and motor capabilities. Thi...

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Main Author: Dietmar Fischer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1558525/full
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author Dietmar Fischer
author_facet Dietmar Fischer
author_sort Dietmar Fischer
collection DOAJ
description Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries frequently result in irreversible functional deficits. While neurons possess an intrinsic capacity for axonal regeneration, the temporal constraints and the slow pace of neurite outgrowth often impede the complete restoration of sensory and motor capabilities. This impairment, often culminating in chronic disability, represents a significant clinical challenge, as there are currently no approved pharmacological interventions available to accelerate axon regeneration and improve functional recovery. This perspective focuses on recent scientific advancements that have identified sesquiterpene lactones, a family of naturally derived plant metabolites, as potential therapeutic candidates for treating peripheral nerve trauma. Preclinical investigations employing parthenolide and cnicin have revealed that these compounds can substantially augment axonal extension and functional recovery in diverse in vivo animal paradigms and primary human neuronal cultures. The favorable bioavailability of cnicin following oral administration, coupled with its notable tolerability at dosages considerably largely surpassing the therapeutic range, underscores its substantial potential as an effective pharmacological treatment for addressing the challenges associated with nerve regeneration and restoring sensory and motor functions.
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spelling doaj-art-27048ca89304416db3af1ea9d68085f62025-08-20T02:26:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology2296-634X2025-04-011310.3389/fcell.2025.15585251558525Cnicin: a promising drug for promoting nerve repairDietmar FischerTraumatic peripheral nerve injuries frequently result in irreversible functional deficits. While neurons possess an intrinsic capacity for axonal regeneration, the temporal constraints and the slow pace of neurite outgrowth often impede the complete restoration of sensory and motor capabilities. This impairment, often culminating in chronic disability, represents a significant clinical challenge, as there are currently no approved pharmacological interventions available to accelerate axon regeneration and improve functional recovery. This perspective focuses on recent scientific advancements that have identified sesquiterpene lactones, a family of naturally derived plant metabolites, as potential therapeutic candidates for treating peripheral nerve trauma. Preclinical investigations employing parthenolide and cnicin have revealed that these compounds can substantially augment axonal extension and functional recovery in diverse in vivo animal paradigms and primary human neuronal cultures. The favorable bioavailability of cnicin following oral administration, coupled with its notable tolerability at dosages considerably largely surpassing the therapeutic range, underscores its substantial potential as an effective pharmacological treatment for addressing the challenges associated with nerve regeneration and restoring sensory and motor functions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1558525/fullcnicinaxon regenerationmicrotubule detyrosinationvasohibinsparthenolideGSK3-glycogen synthase kinase 3
spellingShingle Dietmar Fischer
Cnicin: a promising drug for promoting nerve repair
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
cnicin
axon regeneration
microtubule detyrosination
vasohibins
parthenolide
GSK3-glycogen synthase kinase 3
title Cnicin: a promising drug for promoting nerve repair
title_full Cnicin: a promising drug for promoting nerve repair
title_fullStr Cnicin: a promising drug for promoting nerve repair
title_full_unstemmed Cnicin: a promising drug for promoting nerve repair
title_short Cnicin: a promising drug for promoting nerve repair
title_sort cnicin a promising drug for promoting nerve repair
topic cnicin
axon regeneration
microtubule detyrosination
vasohibins
parthenolide
GSK3-glycogen synthase kinase 3
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1558525/full
work_keys_str_mv AT dietmarfischer cnicinapromisingdrugforpromotingnerverepair