Abstract:

Cell cycle regulation and brain injury: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality in patients, and it affects more than 1.7 million Americans each year. Other than direct damage resulting from TBI, the brain injury triggers several secondary mechanisms which either individually or in combination contribute to the neurological deficits after TBI. These secondary mechanisms include neuronal death and stimulate proliferation of astrocytes and microglial cells, which in turn triggers neuro-inflammation. The association between proliferation of dividing cells like astrocytes and microglia with cell cycle has already been highlighted in a recent publication. However, in this article, we will emphasize the importance of cell cycle in post-mitotic cells like mature neurons following brain injury.