مطالعه جدید چینی در خصوص باقیماندهٔ اکسیژن فعال در اختلالات عصبی امیدوار کننده است. Researchers from Sichuan University in China have developed a new biological material that can reduce inflammation and improve nerve repair in spinal cord injuries by eliminating harmful oxygen radicals.
Analyzing the importance of this new material, the researchers emphasize that spinal cord injuries are a major global health issue affecting over 20 million people worldwide. They argue that the existing treatments for spinal cord injuries have limitations due to the lack of effective therapies for restoring damaged neural tissues.
The researchers designed the new material to reduce inflammation and cell death caused by excessive oxygen radicals in the affected area. They tested the material in laboratory experiments on mice and observed significant improvements in motor function and neural tissue repair compared to untreated mice.
The new material has been designed to effectively remove excess oxygen radicals from the affected area, which can lead to oxidative damage to DNA, protein oxidation, and lipid peroxidation, ultimately causing cell death. The researchers believe that their material has potential advantages over natural antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase, including being more stable and easier to deliver.
The team used a material consisting of a rare metal, ruthenium, and a copper hydroxide embedded in collagen. The material acts as an oxygen radical scavenger, effectively removing excess oxygen radicals from the affected area.
Ting Wang, one of the researchers, said that the new material quickly eliminates harmful oxygen radicals, reduces neuronal death, and induces macrophages to adopt an anti-inflammatory phenotype, protecting essential cells such as neural stem cells and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.
Cheng emphasized that their material has advantages over natural antioxidants like superoxide dismutase. He also highlighted the fact that this material is more stable and can be easily delivered, and less likely to trigger unwanted immune reactions in patients.
The researchers tested the material with and without collagen and found that it reduced cell death caused by excess oxygen radicals in neural cells and decreased inflammation in the affected area. Mice treated with the material showed better neural tissue repair and motor function recovery compared to untreated mice.
While the results are promising, the researchers note that there are still many technical and regulatory challenges to overcome before the treatment can be tested in humans. Cheng said that they are committed to thoroughly reviewing the conditions to optimize the therapeutic strategies.
The study was published in the journal Advanced Materials.