Page 43 - GPD-4-3

Gene & Protein in Disease

REVIEW ARTICLE
Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome using

Chinese herbal medicine components for the
treatment of spinal cord injury

Parvaneh Behi Shahreza 1 , Farzaneh Majidi 2 , Shima Farajpour 2 , and
3
Ghazaleh Moshkdanian *
1 Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe traumatic condition with increasing prevalence in
developing countries. Characterized by a complex pathophysiology and a scarcity
of treatment options, SCI often leads to long-term disabilities that adversely affect
patients’ quality of life. A hallmark of SCI is substantial neuroinflammation and
neurological damage, which may be either temporary or permanent. Inflammation
is a key factor in SCI, particularly through the activation of the NOD-like receptor
protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome – an essential component of the body’s innate
*Corresponding author:
Ghazaleh Moshkdanian immune response. NLRP3 inflammasome activation contributes to secondary injury
(moshkdanian_gh@kaums.ac.ir) following SCI by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β
Citation: Shahreza PB, Majidi F, and IL-18. Furthermore, NLRP3 activation exacerbates tissue damage and delays
Farajpour S, Moshkdanian G. recovery. Pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation has shown
Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome potential in managing neuroinflammation, mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction,
using Chinese herbal medicine
components for the treatment of reducing the severity of spinal cord damage, and promoting neurological recovery
spinal cord injury. Gene Protein Dis. after SCI. Recently, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has garnered interest as a novel
2025;4(3):4827. therapeutic approach for SCI treatment. Various herbal compounds, including
doi: 10.36922/gpd.4827
curcumin, resveratrol, and quercetin, have demonstrated the ability to target the
Received: September 12, 2024 NLRP3 inflammasome, reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines release, and protect
1st revised: November 17, 2024 neural tissue in SCI models. This review explores the inhibitory effects of CHM on
NLRP3 inflammasome activation, highlighting the therapeutic potential of these
2nd revised: December 15, 2024
natural compounds in improving outcomes for SCI patients. Ultimately, a deeper
Accepted: December 23, 2024 understanding of the interaction between NLRP3 and CHM may pave the way for
Published online: February 18, innovative therapeutic strategies to enhance recovery following SCI.
2025
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). Keywords: NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome; Inflammation; Spinal cord injury;
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the Chinese herbal medicine
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a critical medical condition that can lead to significant
Publishing remains neutral with neurological deficits and dysfunction in affected individuals. The prevalence of SCI is
1
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional increasing globally, with numerous studies across various countries documenting this
2
affiliations. trend. SCI primarily results from traumatic injuries, including accidents, falls, infections,
Volume 4 Issue 3 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/gpd.4827