TY - JOUR
T1 - Role of IL-6 in spinal cord injury in a mouse model
AU - Nakamura, Masaya
AU - Okada, Seiji
AU - Toyama, Yoshiaki
AU - Okano, Hideyuki
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to Drs. Tadamitsu Kishi-moto and Kazuyuki Yoshizaki at Osaka University and Dr. Yoshiyuki Ohsugi at Chugai Pharmaceutical Company for their continuous encouragement and supports. This work was supported by grants from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture of Japan to HO and YT, and a grant from the 21st century Center of Excellence program of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan to Keio University, and a grant from the General Insurance Association of Japan.
PY - 2005/6
Y1 - 2005/6
N2 - In recent years, various studies have been conducted toward the goal of achieving regeneration of the central nervous system using neural stem cells. However, various complex factors are involved in the regulation of neural stem cell differentiation, and many unresolved questions remain. It has been reported that after spinal cord injury, the intrinsic neural stem cells do not differentiate into neurons but, rather, into astrocytes, resulting in the formation of glial scars. Based on reports that the expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) is sharply increased in the acute stages after spinal cord injury and that IL-6 may serve as a factor strongly inducing the differentiation of neural stem cells into astrocytes, we examined the effects of an antibody to IL-6R in cases of spinal cord injury and found that the antibody suppressed secondary injury (caused by inflammatory reactions) and glial scar formation, facilitating functional recovery. This article presents the data from this investigation and discusses the relationship between IL-6 signals and spinal cord injury.
AB - In recent years, various studies have been conducted toward the goal of achieving regeneration of the central nervous system using neural stem cells. However, various complex factors are involved in the regulation of neural stem cell differentiation, and many unresolved questions remain. It has been reported that after spinal cord injury, the intrinsic neural stem cells do not differentiate into neurons but, rather, into astrocytes, resulting in the formation of glial scars. Based on reports that the expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) is sharply increased in the acute stages after spinal cord injury and that IL-6 may serve as a factor strongly inducing the differentiation of neural stem cells into astrocytes, we examined the effects of an antibody to IL-6R in cases of spinal cord injury and found that the antibody suppressed secondary injury (caused by inflammatory reactions) and glial scar formation, facilitating functional recovery. This article presents the data from this investigation and discusses the relationship between IL-6 signals and spinal cord injury.
KW - Glial scar
KW - IL-6
KW - Regeneration
KW - Spinal cord injury
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U2 - 10.1385/CRIAI:28:3:197
DO - 10.1385/CRIAI:28:3:197
M3 - Review article
C2 - 16129904
AN - SCOPUS:23944440904
SN - 1080-0549
VL - 28
SP - 197
EP - 203
JO - Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology
JF - Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology
IS - 3
ER -