Magnesium and nerve injury: Mechanisms and applications

Magnesium is a vital mineral that plays an important role in recovery from nerve injury recovery by inhibiting excitotoxicity, suppressing inflammatory effects, reducing oxidative stress, and protecting mitochondria. The role of magnesium ions in the field of nerve injury repair has garnered substantial attention. This paper aims to review the mechanisms of action and potential applications of magnesium in nerve injury repair. Magnesium ions, as key neuroregulatory factors, substantially alleviate secondary damage after nerve injury by inhibiting N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, regulating calcium ion balance, providing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and protecting mitochondrial function. Magnesium ions have been shown to reduce neuronal death caused by excitotoxicity, inhibit the release of inflammatory factors, and improve mitochondrial function. Additionally, magnesium materials, such as metallic magnesium, magnesium alloys, surface-modified magnesium materials, and magnesium-based metallic glass, exhibit unique advantages in nerve repair. For example, magnesium materials can control the release of magnesium ions, thereby promoting axonal regeneration and providing mechanism support. However, the rapid corrosion of magnesium materials and the limited amount of research on these materials hinder their widespread application. Existing small-sample clinical studies have indicated that magnesium formulations show some efficacy in conditions such as migraines, Alzheimer's disease, and traumatic brain injury, offering a new perspective for the application of magnesium in nerve injury rehabilitation. Magnesium ions and their derived materials collectively hold great promise for applications in nerve injury repair. Future efforts should focus on in-depth research on the mechanisms of action of magnesium ions and the development of magnesium-based biomaterials with enhanced performance. Additionally, large-scale clinical trials should be conducted to validate their safety and efficacy.