J Cell Mol Med, 2021 · DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16507 · Published: May 1, 2021
This study investigates the role of Wnt5a, a protein involved in nerve growth, in spinal cord injury (SCI). Researchers overexpressed Wnt5a in rats with SCI to observe its effects on various cell types and functional recovery. The results showed that Wnt5a overexpression led to a reduction in nerve cell density, accumulation of specific glial cells (NG2+), and descending serotonergic innervation. Additionally, Wnt5a overexpression impaired motor and bladder function recovery after SCI, suggesting it has a complex and potentially detrimental role in the recovery process.
Inhibition or blockade of endogenous Wnt5a might be a potential therapeutic approach to ameliorate the SCI-associated histopathological and functional deficits.
Wnt5a does not only act as a repulsive factor for CST regeneration, but also for other axonal tracts that are critically involved in functional loss/recovery, such as the descending serotonergic system.
Wnt5a exerts different functions in NG2+ glial precursors in the spinal cord under physiological or pathological conditions, when they seem to be more responsive to this Wnt ligand.