Inflammatory response in traumatic brain and spinal cord injury: The role of XCL1-XCR1 axis and T cells

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) are acquired injuries to the central nervous system (CNS) caused by external forces that cause temporary or permanent sensory and motor impairments and the potential for long-term disability or even death. These conditions currently lack effective treatments and impose substantial physical, social, and economic burdens on millions of people and families worldwide. TBI and SCI involve intricate pathological mechanisms, and the inflammatory response contributes significantly to secondary injury in TBI and SCI. It plays a crucial role in prolonging the post-CNS trauma period and becomes a focal point for a potential therapeutic intervention. Previous research on the inflammatory response has traditionally concentrated on glial cells, such as astrocytes and microglia. However, increasing evidence highlights the crucial involvement of lymphocytes in the inflammatory response to CNS injury, particularly CD8⁺ T cells and NK cells, along with their downstream XCL1-XCR1 axis.

This review aims to provide an overview of the role of the XCL1-XCR1 axis and the T-cell response in inflammation caused by TBI and SCI and identify potential targets for therapy.

We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed and Web of Science using relevant keywords related to the XCL1-XCR1 axis, T-cell response, TBI, and SCI.

This study examines the upstream and downstream pathways involved in inflammation caused by TBI and SCI, including interleukin-15 (IL-15), interleukin-12 (IL-12), CD8⁺ T cells, CD4⁺ T cells, NK cells, XCL1, XCR1⁺ dendritic cells, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), helper T0 cells (Th0 cells), helper T1 cells (Th1 cells), and helper T17 cells (Th17 cells). We describe their proinflammatory effect in TBI and SCI.

The findings suggest that the XCL1-XCR1 axis and the T-cell response have great potential for preclinical investigations and treatments for TBI and SCI.