Vimentin as a potential target for diverse nervous system diseases

Vimentin, a type III intermediate filament protein, plays roles in cell migration, proliferation, and division. It exists inside and outside cells and impacts nervous system injuries and diseases. In spinal cord injury and stroke, vimentin affects the formation of reactive astrocytes. Depending on the context, glial scar formation can be beneficial or detrimental for recovery. Extracellular vimentin can promote axonal extension, while cell surface vimentin acts as a receptor for bacteria in meningitis. Thus, vimentin serves as a 'double-edged sword' in the nervous system.

• 1
  In spinal cord injury, vimentin and GFAP knockout mice show reduced glial scar and improved motor function, but in stroke, attenuated glial scar leads to worse neurological recovery.
• 2
  Extracellular vimentin may act as a neurotrophic factor, promoting axonal extension via interaction with the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor.
• 3
  Cell surface vimentin acts as a meningitis facilitator by serving as a receptor for multiple pathogenic bacteria, making vimentin knockout mice less susceptible to bacterial infection.