A New microRNA Target for Treating Spinal Cord Injuries News provided by Share this article WASHINGTON, June 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An article published in Experimental Biology and Medicine (Volume 246, Issue 11, June 2021) describes a new target for treating spinal cord injuries. The study, led by Dr. Chunfang Wang, in the Shanxi Key Laboratory of Animal and Animal Model of Human Diseases at Shanxi Medical University in Taiyuan (China), reports that modulating the expression of a specific microRNA improves motor function in a mouse model of spinal cord injury. Damage to the spinal cord results in changes in strength, sensation and other body functions below the site of the injury. Restoring motor function is a key factor in managing spinal cord injury. Injection of neural stems has been shown to be effective, but the availability of neural cells is limited by ethical and practical issues. Another option is stimulating the proliferation of undifferentiated neural stem cells present in the spinal cord. microRNAs are endogenous non-coding small molecule RNAs that regulate the expression of target genes. Several microRNAs, including miR-31, have been implicated in nervous system function and development. miR-31 levels are elevated in neural stem cells but not in motor neurons, suggesting that it may regulate neuronal stem cell proliferation.