Impact of inflammation and Treg cell regulation on neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury: mechanisms and therapeutic prospects

Chunjia Zhang; Yan Li; Yan Yu; Zehui Li; Xin Xu; Zuliyaer Talifu; Wubo Liu; Degang Yang; Feng Gao; Song Wei; Liang Zhang; Han Gong; Run Peng; Liangjie Du; Jianjun Li

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1334828

Impact of inflammation and Treg cell regulation on neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury: mechanisms and therapeutic prospects

Front Immunol. 2024 Jan 29:15:1334828. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1334828. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Chunjia Zhang^{1

2}, Yan Li³, Yan Yu³, Zehui Li^{1

2}, Xin Xu^{1

2}, Zuliyaer Talifu⁴, Wubo Liu^{1

2

5}, Degang Yang^{1

2}, Feng Gao^{1

2}, Song Wei^{1

2}, Liang Zhang^{1

2}, Han Gong^{1

2}, Run Peng^{1

2}, Liangjie Du^{1

2}, Jianjun Li^{1

2

3

5}

Affiliations

¹ School of Rehabilitation, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Department of Spinal and Neural Functional Reconstruction, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China.
³ Institute of Rehabilitation medicine, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China.
⁴ School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
⁵ Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.

Abstract

Spinal cord injury is a severe neurological trauma that can frequently lead to neuropathic pain. During the initial stages following spinal cord injury, inflammation plays a critical role; however, excessive inflammation can exacerbate pain. Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) have a crucial function in regulating inflammation and alleviating neuropathic pain. Treg cells release suppressor cytokines and modulate the function of other immune cells to suppress the inflammatory response. Simultaneously, inflammation impedes Treg cell activity, further intensifying neuropathic pain. Therefore, suppressing the inflammatory response while enhancing Treg cell regulatory function may provide novel therapeutic avenues for treating neuropathic pain resulting from spinal cord injury. This review comprehensively describes the mechanisms underlying the inflammatory response and Treg cell regulation subsequent to spinal cord injury, with a specific focus on exploring the potential mechanisms through which Treg cells regulate neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury. The insights gained from this review aim to provide new concepts and a rationale for the therapeutic prospects and direction of cell therapy in spinal cord injury-related conditions.

Keywords: Treg cells; cell therapy; inflammation; neuropathic pain; spinal cord injury.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cytokines
Humans
Inflammation / therapy
Neuralgia* / etiology
Neuralgia* / therapy
Spinal Cord Injuries* / complications
Spinal Cord Injuries* / therapy
T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Substances

Cytokines

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was funded by the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Public Welfare Research Institutes (No. 2022CZ-3), the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Public Welfare Research Institutes (No. 2023CZ-3), and the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Public Welfare Research Institutes (No. 2019CZ-13).