Spinal cord regeneration at single-cell resolution restores walking after paralysis
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ABSTRACT:
PROVIDER: PRJNA817558 | ENA |
REPOSITORIES: ENA
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Project description:Although axon regeneration can now be induced experimentally across anatomically complete spinal cord injury (SCI), restoring meaningful function after such injuries has been elusive. This failure contrasts with the spontaneous, naturally occuring repair that restores walking after severe but incomplete SCI. Here, we applied projection-specific and comparative single-nucleus RNA sequencing to uncover the transcriptional phenotype and connectome of neuronal subpopulations involved in natural spinal cord repair. We identified a molecularly defined population of excitatory projection neurons in the thoracic spinal cord that extend axons to the lumbar spinal cord where walking execution centers reside. We show that regrowing axons from these specific neurons across anatomically complete SCI and guiding them to reconnect with their appropriate target region in the lumbar spinal cord restores walking in mice. These results demonstrate that mechanism-based repair strategies that recapitulate the natural topology of molecularly defined neuronal subpopulations can restore neurological functions. Expanding this principle to different classes of neurons across the central nervous system may unlock the framework to achieve complete repair of the injured spinal cord.
2023-09-20 | GSE198949 | GEO
Project description:Here, we show that epidural electrical stimulation (EES) of the lumbar spinal cord applied during neurorehabilitation (EESREHAB) restored walking in nine people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). This recovery involved a reduction of the metabolic activity in the lumbar spinal cord during walking. We hypothesized that this unexpected reduction reflects activity-dependent selection of specific neuronal subpopulations that become essential to walk after SCI. To identify these putative neurons, we modelled the technological and therapeutic features underlying EESREHAB in mice. We applied single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to the spinal cord of these mice to chart a spatially-resolved molecular atlas of recovery from paralysis. We then employed cell type and spatial prioritization to uncover the neurons involved in the recovery of walking. A single population of excitatory interneurons nested within intermediate laminae emerged. Although these neurons were not necessary to walk before SCI, we demonstrate that they are essential to regain walking following SCI. In turn, augmenting their activity instantly phenocopied the recovery of walking enabled by EESREHAB. We thus identified a recovery-organizing neuronal subpopulation that is necessary and sufficient to regain walking after SCI. Moreover, our methodology establishes a framework to identify the neurons producing complex behaviours using molecular cartography.
2022-06-20 | GSE184370 | GEO
Project description:Here, we show that epidural electrical stimulation (EES) of the lumbar spinal cord applied during neurorehabilitation (EESREHAB) restored walking in nine people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). This recovery involved a reduction of the metabolic activity in the lumbar spinal cord during walking. We hypothesized that this unexpected reduction reflects activity-dependent selection of specific neuronal subpopulations that become essential to walk after SCI. To identify these putative neurons, we modelled the technological and therapeutic features underlying EESREHAB in mice. We applied single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to the spinal cord of these mice to chart a spatially-resolved molecular atlas of recovery from paralysis. We then employed cell type and spatial prioritization to uncover the neurons involved in the recovery of walking. A single population of excitatory interneurons nested within intermediate laminae emerged. Although these neurons were not necessary to walk before SCI, we demonstrate that they are essential to regain walking following SCI. In turn, augmenting their activity instantly phenocopied the recovery of walking enabled by EESREHAB. We thus identified a recovery-organizing neuronal subpopulation that is necessary and sufficient to regain walking after SCI. Moreover, our methodology establishes a framework to identify the neurons producing complex behaviours using molecular cartography.
2022-06-20 | GSE184369 | GEO
Project description:The neurons that restore walking after paralysis
| PRJNA764235 | ENA
Project description:The neurons that restore walking after paralysis [snRNA-seq]
| PRJNA764239 | ENA
Project description:The neurons that restore walking after paralysis [spatial transcriptomics]
| PRJNA764238 | ENA
Project description:The spinal cords of mice submitted to aortic cross-clamping for 7.5 minutes present with gray matter damage and central cord edema. 60% of mice subsequently experience hindlimb and tail paralysis. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression following aotic cross-clamping, in order to identify genes that could be responsible for edema and paralysis. RNAs extracted from the rostral (above T6) and caudal (below T6) part of the spinal cords of wild-type mice 24 and 48 hours following aortic cross-clamping were used for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. Mice submitted to sham surgery were used as controls.
2015-11-05 | E-GEOD-74680 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:The spinal cords of mice submitted to aortic cross-clamping for 7.5 minutes present with gray matter damage and central cord edema. 60% of mice subsequently experience hindlimb and tail paralysis. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression following aotic cross-clamping, in order to identify genes that could be responsible for edema and paralysis.
2015-11-05 | GSE74680 | GEO
Project description:Spinal cord injury leads to impaired motor and sensory functions. After spinal cord injury there is a an initial phase of hypo-reflexia followed by a developing hyper-reflexia, often termed spasticity. Previous studies have suggested a relationship between the reappearence of plateau potentials in motor neurons and the development of spasticity after spinalization. To understand the molecular mechanism behind this phenomenon we examined the transcriptional response of the motor neurons after spinal cord injury. We used a rat tail injury model where a complete transection of the caudal (S2) rat spinal cord leads to an immidate flaccid paralysis of the tail and a subsequent appearence of spasticity 2-3 weeks post injury that develops into strong spasticity after 2 months. Gene expression changes were studied in motor neurons 21 and 60 days after complete spinal transection where the tail exhibits clear signs of spasticity.
2009-11-01 | GSE16710 | GEO