The Value of MicroRNAs as an Indicator of the Severity and the Acute Phase of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition resulting from damage to the spinal cord, often leading to lasting disabilities. Current treatments have limited effectiveness, highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutic approaches. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA fragments that play a crucial role in regulating biological pathways. This study explores the potential of miRNA-21 and miRNA-223 as indicators of SCI severity and the acute phase of injury. Using an animal model of SCI, the study monitored changes in miRNA-21 and miRNA-223 expression levels over time. The findings suggest that these miRNAs could serve as valuable biomarkers for assessing the severity and acute phase of SCI.

• 1
  Significant differences in miRNA-21 expression levels were observed between the experimental groups at 1, 3, and 7 days post-injury, suggesting that miRNA-21 expression levels might serve as an indicator of the severity of SCI.
• 2
  Significant differences in miRNA-223 expression levels were observed between the groups at 4 hours and 1, 3, and 7 days post-injury, indicating that miRNA-223 expression levels might serve as an indicator of the acute phase of SCI.
• 3
  miRNA-223 expression levels reached their highest point at 1 day post-injury and then decreased over time in all three experimental groups.