Neural Regeneration Research, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.357905 · Published: October 11, 2022
Astrocytes play a key role in cholesterol production and use in the body. After a spinal cord injury, astrocytes can have problems with cholesterol use, leading to too many oxysterols being made, which can harm the nervous system. This study found that thrombin, a protein activated after spinal cord injury, increases the production of CH25H in astrocytes. Blocking a specific receptor (PAR1) can lessen this effect, both in lab experiments and in living organisms. The results suggest that controlling how thrombin affects cholesterol use in astrocytes could lead to new anti-inflammatory treatments for spinal cord injury patients.
Targeting thrombin-regulated cholesterol metabolism in astrocytes could lead to the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs for spinal cord injury.
PAR1 inhibitors may be a viable therapeutic strategy to reduce inflammation and improve motor function recovery after SCI.
The study sheds light on the complex interplay between thrombin, cholesterol metabolism, and inflammation in the context of spinal cord injury.