Inhibition of UHRF1 Improves Motor Function in Mice with Spinal Cord Injury

• Published in: Cellular and molecular neurobiology 2024-12, Vol.44 (1), p.39, Article 39
• Main Authors: Cheng, Shuai, Guo, Hui, Bai, Mingyu, Cui, Yang, Tian, He, Mei, Xifan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins - genetics; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Cell Biology; Female; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Immune system; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular modelling; Motor Activity - physiology; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Original Research; Paralysis; Recovery of Function - physiology; Spinal Cord - metabolism; Spinal Cord - pathology; Spinal cord injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology; Therapeutic targets; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - genetics; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - metabolism
• ISSN: 0272-4340; 1573-6830; 1573-6830
• DOI: 10.1007/s10571-024-01474-5

Spinal-cord injury (SCI) is a severe condition that can lead to limb paralysis and motor dysfunction, and its pathogenesis is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to characterize the differential gene expression and molecular mechanisms in the spinal cord of mice three days after spinal cord injury. By analyzing RNA sequencing data, we identified differentially expressed genes and discovered that the immune system and various metabolic processes play crucial roles in SCI. Additionally, we identified UHRF1 as a key gene that plays a significant role in SCI and found that SCI can be improved by suppressing UHRF1. These findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms of SCI and identify potential therapeutic targets that could greatly contribute to the development of new treatment strategies for SCI. Graphical Abstract Downregulation of UHRF1 promotes the recovery of motor function in mice with spinal cord injury. By analyzing the RNA sequencing results of mice with spinal cord injury for 3 days and selecting UHRF1 for experimental validation, the study found that inhibiting UHRF1 can promote motor function recovery.