Spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators: Role in “fire barrier” formation and potential for neural regeneration

Traumatic spinal cord injury result in considerable and lasting functional impairments, triggering complex inflammatory and pathological events. Spinal cord scars, often metaphorically referred to as “fire barriers,” aim to control the spread of neuroinflammation during the acute phase but later hin...

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Main Authors: Mi Zhou, Zhengyu Xu, Hao Zhong, Guangzhi Ning, Shiqing Feng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2026-03-01
Series:Neural Regeneration Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-00792
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author Mi Zhou
Zhengyu Xu
Hao Zhong
Guangzhi Ning
Shiqing Feng
author_facet Mi Zhou
Zhengyu Xu
Hao Zhong
Guangzhi Ning
Shiqing Feng
author_sort Mi Zhou
collection DOAJ
description Traumatic spinal cord injury result in considerable and lasting functional impairments, triggering complex inflammatory and pathological events. Spinal cord scars, often metaphorically referred to as “fire barriers,” aim to control the spread of neuroinflammation during the acute phase but later hinder axon regeneration in later stages. Recent studies have enhanced our understanding of immunomodulation, revealing that injury-associated inflammation involves various cell types and molecules with positive and negative effects. This review employs bibliometric analysis to examine the literature on inflammatory mediators in spinal cord injury, highlighting recent research and providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of research and the latest advances in studies on neuroinflammation related to spinal cord injury. We summarize the immune and inflammatory responses at different stages of spinal cord injury, offering crucial insights for future research. Additionally, we review repair strategies based on inflammatory mediators for the injured spinal cord. Finally, this review discusses the current status and future directions of translational research focused on immune-targeting strategies, including pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, and gene therapy. The development of a combined, precise, and multitemporal strategy for the repair of injured spinal cords represents a promising direction for future research.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1673-5374
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language English
publishDate 2026-03-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Neural Regeneration Research
spelling doaj-art-e250ff3981a148ffb4378b5b182104d12025-08-20T03:31:41ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsNeural Regeneration Research1673-53741876-79582026-03-0121392393710.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-00792Spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators: Role in “fire barrier” formation and potential for neural regenerationMi ZhouZhengyu XuHao ZhongGuangzhi NingShiqing FengTraumatic spinal cord injury result in considerable and lasting functional impairments, triggering complex inflammatory and pathological events. Spinal cord scars, often metaphorically referred to as “fire barriers,” aim to control the spread of neuroinflammation during the acute phase but later hinder axon regeneration in later stages. Recent studies have enhanced our understanding of immunomodulation, revealing that injury-associated inflammation involves various cell types and molecules with positive and negative effects. This review employs bibliometric analysis to examine the literature on inflammatory mediators in spinal cord injury, highlighting recent research and providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of research and the latest advances in studies on neuroinflammation related to spinal cord injury. We summarize the immune and inflammatory responses at different stages of spinal cord injury, offering crucial insights for future research. Additionally, we review repair strategies based on inflammatory mediators for the injured spinal cord. Finally, this review discusses the current status and future directions of translational research focused on immune-targeting strategies, including pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, and gene therapy. The development of a combined, precise, and multitemporal strategy for the repair of injured spinal cords represents a promising direction for future research.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-00792axon regenerationbibliometric analysiscentral nervous systemchronic phaseconditioning lesion paradigmglia scarimmunomodulatory pharmaceuticsinflammatory mediatorneuroinflammationspinal cord injuryzebrafish
spellingShingle Mi Zhou
Zhengyu Xu
Hao Zhong
Guangzhi Ning
Shiqing Feng
Spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators: Role in “fire barrier” formation and potential for neural regeneration
Neural Regeneration Research
axon regeneration
bibliometric analysis
central nervous system
chronic phase
conditioning lesion paradigm
glia scar
immunomodulatory pharmaceutics
inflammatory mediator
neuroinflammation
spinal cord injury
zebrafish
title Spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators: Role in “fire barrier” formation and potential for neural regeneration
title_full Spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators: Role in “fire barrier” formation and potential for neural regeneration
title_fullStr Spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators: Role in “fire barrier” formation and potential for neural regeneration
title_full_unstemmed Spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators: Role in “fire barrier” formation and potential for neural regeneration
title_short Spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators: Role in “fire barrier” formation and potential for neural regeneration
title_sort spinal cord injury and inflammatory mediators role in fire barrier formation and potential for neural regeneration
topic axon regeneration
bibliometric analysis
central nervous system
chronic phase
conditioning lesion paradigm
glia scar
immunomodulatory pharmaceutics
inflammatory mediator
neuroinflammation
spinal cord injury
zebrafish
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-00792
work_keys_str_mv AT mizhou spinalcordinjuryandinflammatorymediatorsroleinfirebarrierformationandpotentialforneuralregeneration
AT zhengyuxu spinalcordinjuryandinflammatorymediatorsroleinfirebarrierformationandpotentialforneuralregeneration
AT haozhong spinalcordinjuryandinflammatorymediatorsroleinfirebarrierformationandpotentialforneuralregeneration
AT guangzhining spinalcordinjuryandinflammatorymediatorsroleinfirebarrierformationandpotentialforneuralregeneration
AT shiqingfeng spinalcordinjuryandinflammatorymediatorsroleinfirebarrierformationandpotentialforneuralregeneration