Editorial: Biochemical and genetic tools to investigate the underlying mechanisms and treatment of sensorimotor pathologies

Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2022 · DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1041458 · Published: October 10, 2022

Simple Explanation

Sensorimotor integration is crucial for essential behaviors like locomotion, requiring complex neuronal circuits in the spinal cord and brain. Neurological disorders disrupt these circuits, impairing signal transmission and integration, leading to functional deficits and reduced quality of life. Recent advances in pharmacological, biochemical, and genetic engineering offer opportunities to investigate mechanisms underlying sensorimotor disorders and identify novel treatments.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Not specified

Evidence Level

Editorial

Key Findings

1
Mitochondrial lesions outside the injury area and downregulation of enzymes essential for the TCA cycle and amino acid metabolism occur after SCI, but could be partially reversed by thiamine administration, leading to improved locomotor performance.
2
Two pharmacological compounds were identified that fully ameliorate the phenotypical cortical abnormalities associated with the Tbx1 mutant mouse line, which is commonly used as a model of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.
3
Chronic chemogenetic activation, coupled with treadmill training, increased afferent sprouting, and led to some functional improvements after SCI. Interestingly, most of these improvements were maintained even after chemogenetic activation was ceased.

Research Summary

This editorial introduces a Research Topic focusing on biochemical and genetic tools to investigate and treat sensorimotor pathologies, particularly those resulting from spinal cord injury (SCI) and other neurological disorders. The included manuscripts explore a range of biochemical engineering strategies to understand sensorimotor pathologies after SCI and other neurological disorders, potentially leading to novel treatments. The articles published in this Research Topic provide a diverse insight into the diﬀerent areas of research aimed at better understanding and correcting sensorimotor deﬁcits caused by neurological disorders.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Target Identification

Understanding molecular mechanisms, such as those related to mitochondrial function after SCI, can lead to the discovery of potential new therapeutic targets and the development of novel treatments.

Refining Cellular Therapies

Research comparing different cell ablation techniques contributes to refining and tailoring cellular therapies for neural traumatic injuries, providing valuable insights into their viability.

Targeted Therapy Development

Understanding the functional role of defined subpopulations of sensory neurons after injury and during rehabilitation will facilitate the development of improved targeted therapies.

Study Limitations

1
The studies included have specific focuses, limiting the scope of overall sensorimotor pathology understanding.
2
Challenges and limitations associated with implementing optogenetic systems in damaged CNS tissue need to be considered.
3
Further research is needed to fully unravel the role that each cell population plays during sensorimotor deficits.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Neurology