The immunomodulator decoy receptor 3 improves locomotor functional recovery after spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to neuron and axon loss, impairing motor and sensory functions. Inflammation follows SCI, with immune cells infiltrating the injury site. Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), an immunomodulator, can differentiate macrophages into the M2 phenotype and boost angiogenesis. The study aimed to investigate whether DcR3 benefits locomotor functional recovery in rats after SCI by promoting M2 macrophage infiltration and angiogenesis at the lesion site. The research found that DcR3.Fc administration improved locomotor function, reduced secondary injury, increased vascularization, and modulated cytokine levels, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for SCI.

• 1
  Intrathecal administration of DcR3.Fc significantly improved locomotor function and reduced secondary injury with a smaller wound cavity and increased myelin sparing at the lesion site.
• 2
  DcR3.Fc-treated rats had increased vascularization at the injury epicenter along with higher levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 and lower level of IL-1β on DcR3.Fc-treated rats at day 7 after SCI.
• 3
  Higher levels of arginase I (Arg I) and CD206 (M2 macrophage markers) and RECA-1 (endothelial marker) were observed in the epicenter on day 7 after SCI by immunofluorescence staining.