Inhibition of neuronal necroptosis via disruption of RIPK1-RIPK3 Interactions: The role of neural stem cell-derived exosomes in spinal cord injury recovery

Spinal cord injury (SCI) poses a significant economic and public health burden. Exosomes derived from neural stem cells (NSC-Exos) are emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI repair, overcoming several limitations associated with both autologous and allogeneic neural stem cell therapies...

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Main Authors: Shiming Li, Guoliang Chen, Kuileung Tong, Yunshu Che, Yifan Xie, Wenxiao Shi, Anquan Huang, Yefeng Wang, Jianfeng Li, Genlong Jiao, Dacheng He, Jun Shen, Fuxin Wei, Ningning Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-09-01
Series:Bioactive Materials
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452199X25002786
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Summary:Spinal cord injury (SCI) poses a significant economic and public health burden. Exosomes derived from neural stem cells (NSC-Exos) are emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI repair, overcoming several limitations associated with both autologous and allogeneic neural stem cell therapies. This study demonstrates that NSC-Exos are efficiently internalized by the injured spinal cord after co-injection, resulting in substantial motor function recovery in murine models. Additionally, NSC-Exos effectively limit the expansion of the injury site, reduce neuronal degeneration, and attenuate neuroinflammatory responses. Notably, this is the first study to identify necroptosis as a novel therapeutic target for NSC-Exos in SCI recovery. We show that NSC-Exos inhibit neuronal necroptosis both in vivo and in vitro by disrupting the RIPK1-RIPK3 interaction, thereby preventing necrosome assembly. Furthermore, comprehensive transcriptomic analysis reveals that the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis (UPS) pathway plays a crucial role in this process, a finding supported by experimental inhibition of ubiquitination. In conclusion, this study highlights the therapeutic potential of NSC-Exos in SCI treatment, particularly through the inhibition of necroptosis via disruption of the RIPK1-RIPK3 interaction, potentially involving UPS activation. These findings provide a foundation for future investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying SCI recovery.
ISSN:2452-199X