title: RhoA/Rho kinase in spinal cord injury.
abstract: A spinal cord injury refers to an injury to the spinal cord that is caused by a trauma instead of diseases. Spinal cord injury includes a primary mechanical injury and a much more complex secondary injury process involving inflammation, oxidation, excitotoxicity, and cell death. During the secondary injury, many signal pathways are activated and play important roles in mediating the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury. Among them, the RhoA/Rho kinase pathway plays a particular role in mediating spinal degeneration and regeneration. In this review, we will discuss the role and mechanism of RhoA/Rho kinase-mediated spinal cord pathogenesis, as well as the potential of targeting RhoA/Rho kinase as a strategy for promoting both neuroprotection and axonal regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangbing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7229-0081
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Xu
keywords: Rho kinase; RhoA; cell death; degeneration; inflammation; regeneration; spinal cord injury