Teriparatide: an innovative and promising strategy for protecting the blood-spinal cord barrier following spinal cord injury

Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024 · DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1386565 · Published: May 6, 2024

Spinal Cord Injury Pharmacology Neurology

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injury can disrupt the blood-spinal cord barrier, leading to further damage. Preserving this barrier is crucial for recovery. Teriparatide, a drug used for osteoporosis, may help protect the blood-spinal cord barrier after injury, potentially improving outcomes. This article explores how teriparatide could reduce blood-spinal cord barrier disruption and improve spinal cord injury prognosis.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Not specified

Evidence Level

Review

Key Findings

1
Spinal cord injury disrupts the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB), leading to secondary injuries and neurological damage.
2
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP9, play a significant role in BSCB disruption after spinal cord injury.
3
Teriparatide may protect the BSCB by promoting Ang-1 generation and reducing MMP9 expression, but further research is needed.

Research Summary

The blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) is disrupted within minutes of spinal cord injury, leading to increased permeability and secondary spinal cord injury, resulting in more severe neurological damage. Teriparatide, widely used in clinical treatment for osteoporosis and promoting fracture healing, has been found in our previous study to have the effect of inhibiting the expression of MMP9 and alleviating blood-brain barrier disruption after ischemic stroke, thereby improving neurological damage symptoms. This article summarizes the main pathological mechanisms of blood-spinal cord barrier disruption after spinal cord injury and its relationship with Teriparatide, and explores the therapeutic potential of Teriparatide in improving the prognosis of spinal cord injury by reducing blood-spinal cord barrier disruption.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

Teriparatide presents a potential therapeutic strategy for protecting the blood-spinal cord barrier after spinal cord injury.

Clinical Use

Given teriparatide's existing use in osteoporosis treatment, its repurposing for spinal cord injury could be clinically advantageous.

Further Research

Further studies are warranted to clarify the specific mechanisms and efficacy of teriparatide in improving BSCB integrity and neurological outcomes following SCI.

Study Limitations

1
Limited research on the use of teriparatide specifically for spinal cord injury.
2
Specific mechanisms of teriparatide's action on the BSCB require further elucidation.
3
The article is a review and does not present new experimental data.

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