Certolizumab enhances spinal cord injury recovery in rats through inhibition of the TNF‑α signaling pathway and neuronal apoptosis

Spinal cord injury (SCI) presents a significant health challenge resulting from mechanical trauma. Secondary injury, driven by factors such as inflammation, plays a critical role in the SCI pathophysiology. The study evaluates the effectiveness of certolizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting TNF-α that is widely used in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, in a SCI model. Certolizumab treatment exerts a neuroprotective effect against secondary damage in SCI through the inhibition of neuroinflammation and apoptosis.

• 1
  Certolizumab downregulated the expression of TNF-α, NF-κB, and IL-6, key inflammatory mediators.
• 2
  Certolizumab effectively suppressed inflammation-induced neural apoptosis, as evidenced by the TUNEL assay and Caspase-3 expression.
• 3
  Certolizumab alleviated locomotor deficits, demonstrated by Modified Tarlov Score results.