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Review
. 2024 Mar;30(3):e14593.
doi: 10.1111/cns.14593.

Role of dendritic cells in spinal cord injury

Xiaonan Han  1 , Mingkang Zhang  1 , Liyan Yan  1 , Yikun Fu  1 , Hongwei Kou  1 , Chunfeng Shang  1 , Junmin Wang  2 , Hongjian Liu  1 , Chao Jiang  3 , Jian Wang  2 , Tian Cheng  1
Affiliations
Review

Role of dendritic cells in spinal cord injury

Xiaonan Han et al. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Inflammation can worsen spinal cord injury (SCI), with dendritic cells (DCs) playing a crucial role in the inflammatory response. They mediate T lymphocyte differentiation, activate microglia, and release cytokines like NT-3. Moreover, DCs can promote neural stem cell survival and guide them toward neuron differentiation, positively impacting SCI outcomes.

Objective: This review aims to summarize the role of DCs in SCI-related inflammation and identify potential therapeutic targets for treating SCI.

Methods: Literature in PubMed and Web of Science was reviewed using critical terms related to DCs and SCI.

Results: The study indicates that DCs can activate microglia and astrocytes, promote T-cell differentiation, increase neurotrophin release at the injury site, and subsequently reduce secondary brain injury and enhance functional recovery in the spinal cord.

Conclusions: This review highlights the repair mechanisms of DCs and their potential therapeutic potential for SCI.

Keywords: dendritic cells; immune regulation; neuroprotection; neurotrophic factors; spinal cord injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The immune response triggered by spinal cord injury (SCI) during its initial stages. SCI results in the breakdown of the blood–spinal cord barrier, which activates microglia in the damaged tissue. These microglia then release pro‐inflammatory cytokines, which stimulate the migration of neutrophils and macrophages to the injury site. The collaboration of these inflammatory cells causes additional damage to healthy neurons in the area, leading to what is considered the second injury.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Illustration of how dendritic cells (DCs) could potentially treat spinal cord injury (SCI). The mechanism involves DCs activating T cells, which then interact with microglia to trigger the secretion of neuroprotective factors. This ultimately leads to the promotion of neuron regeneration and a decrease in secondary injury.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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