Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2022, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (2): 338-340.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.317974

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Transneuronal delivery of designer cytokines: perspectives for spinal cord injury

Daniel Terheyden-Keighley, Marco Leibinger, Dietmar Fischer*   

  1. Department of Cell Physiology, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany
  • Online:2022-02-15 Published:2021-10-08
  • Contact: Dietmar Fischer, PhD, dietmar.fischer@rub.de.
  • Supported by:
    This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to DF. 

Abstract: We recently achieved significant functional recovery after a complete spinal cord injury, allowing previously paralyzed mice to walk again. This was accomplished by a single, unilateral application of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying the cDNA for the designer cytokine hyper-interleukin-6 (hIL-6) into the sensorimotor cortex after spinal cord injury. This treatment resulted in the transneuronal delivery of the designer cytokine to neurons in  subcortical locomotor centers, axon regeneration of cortical- and serotonergic neurons across the lesion site, and functional recovery of hindlimb stepping. Here we briefly cover the historical context, current implications, and future perspectives surrounding this new achievement.