Targeting autophagy process in center nervous trauma

The central nervous system (CNS) is critical for regulating bodily functions, and damage to it can impair physical abilities. Spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are common CNS traumas that are difficult to recover from and have high mortality rates. Autophagy plays a role in regulating the breakdown and recycling of damaged cellular components, maintaining balance, and regulating cell health. It impacts processes like oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. This article reviews the regulation and role of autophagy in repairing CNS trauma and the intervention effects of autophagy-targeted therapeutic agents to find more and better treatment options for SCI and TBI patients.

• 1
  Autophagy can have both protective and detrimental roles in CNS trauma, depending on the context and severity of the injury. Moderate activation of autophagy may protect neurons, while excessive autophagy can exacerbate neuronal damage.
• 2
  Several signaling pathways, including mTOR, AMPK, PI3K/AKT, and Nrf2, regulate autophagy and can be targeted therapeutically to modulate its effects in CNS trauma.
• 3
  Various drugs, such as rapamycin, resveratrol, and chloroquine, can modulate autophagy and have shown promise in preclinical studies for neuroprotection and functional recovery following SCI and TBI.