Multi-targeted nanogel drug delivery system alleviates neuroinflammation and promotes spinal cord injury repair

This study introduces a novel drug delivery system called QLipTC@HDM to treat spinal cord injuries (SCI). This system combines liposomes that can penetrate the blood-spinal cord barrier and target injury sites with a special gel that prolongs drug retention. The drug, quercetin (Que), is known to reduce inflammation and protect nerves, but it doesn't dissolve well and has side effects. The QLipTC@HDM system helps Que dissolve better, reduces side effects, and ensures the drug stays at the injury site longer, promoting healing. The findings show that QLipTC@HDM reduces inflammation, preserves the blood-spinal cord barrier, optimizes the spinal cord environment, reduces scarring, and improves nerve regeneration and motor function in mice with SCI. This suggests it's a promising treatment approach for SCI.

• 1
  QLipTC@HDM induces M2 phenotype transformation in glial cells and in mice with SCI, thereby mitigating inflammation.
• 2
  This intervention additionally preserves the integrity of the blood-spinal cord barrier, optimizes the spinal cord microenvironment, reduces glial scarring, promotes axonal regeneration, and enhances motor function recovery in SCI mice.
• 3
  The QLipTC@HDM treatment group exhibited a significant reduction in IL-6, TNF-α, and CD86 levels, and a significant increase in IL-10 and Arginase levels compared to the QLipTC group alone.