On June 12, 2023, Xuhua Wang’s research group published a study entitled "Controlled delivery of a neurotransmitter-agonist conjugate for functional recovery after severe spinal cord injury" in Nat. Nanotechnol. The team developed an intravenous nano drug that targets inhibitory neurons to regulate their overexcited state by balancing disrupted residual spinal cord loops, providing neuroprotection by regulating the injury environment, and ultimately promoting the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury. This study provides a theoretical basis for drug regulation of the central nervous system after injury and provides new ideas for comprehensive and effective treatment of spinal cord injury.  

Nano drugs can greatly improve drug solubility, prolong circulation time in the body, and other properties. Therefore, the team constructed a nano-controlled drug. A reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nano drug was designed for the high concentration of ROS in the injury environment. In addition, the neuron subtype targeting function was added to the nano drug through neurotransmitter modification. The research team targeted two different types of neurons, dopaminergic neurons (DOPA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons. The results showed that nano drugs targeting GABA neurons can effectively regulate the excitation state of neurons, protect residual nerve tissue, and promote functional recovery after spinal cord injury (Fig.1).

Perhaps spinal cord injury patients will be able to use affordable, more universal drugs with neuroprotective effects in the near future. This research result gives new hope for rehabilitation to patients with spinal cord injury, who do not have to rely on expensive neural interface techniques for accessible treatment.

Fig.1 The mechanism by which GABA-Nano nano drugs improve the recovery of hindlimb motor function in rats with severe contusive spinal cord injury

The link for the original paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-023-01416-0