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Updated: May 31, 2026
Experimental Strategies to Bridge Large Tissue Gaps in the Injured Spinal Cord after Acute and Chronic Lesion
Published on: April 5, 2016
Targeting the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in spinal cord injury
Emanuela Esposito1, Salvatore Cuzzocrea
1Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Messina, Gazzi, Italy.
Introduction:
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes severe and permanent functional deficits, due to the primary mechanical insult, followed by secondary tissue degeneration. The direct damage is followed by a second phase of tissue degeneration, which may take place over a period of weeks or even months, causing neuronal and axonal destruction. A key mediator of this process is an acute and robust inflammatory response, which involves the synthesis and release of chemokines and cytokines, and a coordinated recruitment of circulating leucocytes, as well as microglia, from the CNS parenchyma. The search for a 'cure' for SCI has yet to produce a convincingly efficacious treatment that improves the outcome for patients.
Areas Covered:
This review explores the experimental studies describing the beneficial effects of PPAR receptor modulators in spinal cord trauma.
Expert Opinion:
Because of safety issues and limited data, PPAR agonists are not yet included in SCI-related treatment strategies. PPAR agonists for specific isoforms (α, β/δ and γ) have demonstrated both anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Pharmacological activation of PPAR can be considered as a multi-faceted therapeutic target, due to its anti-inflammatory/antioxidant/anti-excitotoxic/pro-energetic profile, reported in some neurological and inflammatory-related diseases.
Insights
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonists show promise for treating spinal cord injury (SCI) by reducing inflammation and neurodegeneration. However, safety concerns currently limit their clinical use in SCI patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Immunology
Background:
- Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to permanent deficits via primary damage and secondary degeneration.
- Inflammation, involving cytokines and immune cell recruitment, significantly contributes to SCI-induced neuronal and axonal destruction.
- Current treatments for SCI lack efficacy in improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review experimental studies on the therapeutic potential of PPAR receptor modulators in spinal cord trauma.
- To evaluate the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of PPAR agonists in the context of SCI.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of experimental studies.
- Analysis of research on PPAR receptor modulators and their effects on SCI models.
Main Results:
- PPAR agonists exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties.
- Pharmacological activation of PPAR demonstrates a multi-faceted therapeutic profile, including antioxidant and anti-excitotoxic effects.
Conclusions:
- PPAR agonists are not yet clinically used for SCI due to safety concerns and limited data.
- PPAR agonists represent a potential therapeutic target for SCI, offering anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective benefits.
