ArticleFluids and barriers of the CNS2023
Tocilizumab promotes repair of spinal cord injury by facilitating the restoration of tight junctions between vascular endothelial cells.
Article in Fluids and barriers of the CNS, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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11 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
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- Vascular integrity and immune infiltration in SCI pain: Can exercise tip the balance?Experimental neurology · 2026Article
- The Fidelity Paradox in Spinal Cord Injury: Reframing Biomechanical Mimicry and Neurobiological Relevance for Clinical Translation.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2026Review
- Mechanisms and Applications of Conductive Biomaterials in Spinal Cord Injury Repair.Biomaterials research · 2026Review
- Targeting Interleukin-6 Signaling with Reactive-Oxygen-Species-Responsive Hydrogel to Promote Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury.Biomaterials research · 2026Article
- Repurposing of Chemokine Antagonists for Combined Phase-Resolved Spinal Cord Injury Treatment.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Exosomal miR-149 from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells attenuates spinal cord injury-induced blood-spinal cord barrier disruption by suppressing the ET-1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.Stem cell research & therapy · 2025Article
- Immunomodulatory Biomaterials for Bone and Soft Tissue Chronic Inflammation Diseases.Small science · 2025Review
- Pathophysiologic Mechanisms of Severe Spinal Cord Injury and Neuroplasticity Following Decompressive Laminectomy and Expansive Duraplasty: A Systematic Review.Neurology international · 2025Review
- IL 6 Cascade in Post COVID Cardiovascular Complications: A Review of Endothelial Injury and Clotting Pathways.Cardiovascular & hematological disorders drug targets · 2025Review
- Targeting transcription factor pu.1 for improving neurologic outcomes after spinal cord injury.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOur previous study demonstrated that M1 macrophages could impair tight junctions (TJs) between vascular endothelial cells by secreting interleukin-6 (IL-6) after spinal cord injury (SCI). Tocilizumab, as a humanized IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) monoclonal antibody approved for the clinic, has been applied in the treatment of neurological diseases in recent years, but the treatment effect of Tocilizumab on the TJs restoration of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) after SCI remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of Tocilizumab on the restoration of TJs between vascular endothelial cells and axon regeneration after SCI.
methodsIn this study, the mouse complete spinal cord crush injury model was used, and Tocilizumab was continuously injected intrathecally until the day of sample collection. A PBS injection in the same location was included as a control. At 14 days postinjury (dpi) and 28 dpi, spinal cord tissue sections were examined via tissue immunofluorescence. The Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) scores and footprint analysis were used to verify the effect of Tocilizumab on the recovery of motor function in mice after SCI.
resultsWe demonstrated that depletion of macrophages has no effect on axon regeneration and motor functional recovery after SCI, but mice subjected to Tocilizumab showed a significant increase in axon regeneration and a better recovery in motor function during the chronic phase after SCI. Moreover, our study demonstrated that at 14 and 28 dpi, the expression of claudin-5 (CLDN5) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) between vascular endothelial cells was significantly increased and the leakage of BSCB was significantly reduced in the injured core after daily intrathecal injection of Tocilizumab. Notably, the infiltration of CD68
conclusionThe application of Tocilizumab to antagonize IL-6R can effectively reduce the expression of IL-6 in macrophages and facilitate TJs restoration of the BSCB, which is beneficial for axon regeneration and motor functional recovery after SCI. Hence, Tocilizumab treatment is a potential therapeutic strategy for SCI.
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