WP2431 - Spinal cord injury - Homo sapiens

This pathway provides an overview of cell types, therapeutic targets, drugs, new proposed targets and pathways implicated in spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury is a complex multistep process that involves the regulation of gene expression and signaling in motor neurons, oligodentrocytes, microglia, and astrocytes that trigger immediate immune responses lasting several weeks. Within 24 hours, chemoattractants and cytokines released from the site of injury activate neutrophils which further recruit B and T cells or recruit monocytes that ultimately result in infiltration and activation by microglia and macrophages. These immune responses result in inflammation, excitotoxicity, cell death, formation of glial scar, and suppression of axonal regeneration. An increase in the expression of cell cycle genes further results in proliferation of astrocytes and microglia that leads to apoptosis and necrosis of oligodentrocytes and neurons. An example therapy is the administration of the immunosuppressant FK506, also used in transplantation to offer neuroprotection.

Proteins on this pathway have targeted assays available via the [CPTAC Assay Portal](https://assays.cancer.gov/available_assays?wp_id=WP2431).