Uric Acid and Spinal Cord Injury Treatment
A novel approach by Rutgers researchers holds potential for the treatment of central nervous system damage. Uric acid is commonly associated with the excruciatingly painful joint disease known as gout, but it can also play a crucial role in the treatment of spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, according to Rutgers’ Bonnie Firestein.
Firestein, an associate professor of cell biology and neuroscience and her laboratory team have reported their discovery in the Early View (online in advance of print) version of the journal Glia.
“In spinal cord injury, as well as stroke, two kinds of damage can occur,” Firestein explained. “First there is the physical damage, but this is followed by secondary chemical damage to neurons [nerve cells] by compounds released in response to the trauma. We have found that uric acid can promote an early intervention step in combating this chemical damage through its action on astroglial cells.”
Astroglial cells or astrocytes are specialized cells that support neuron function with nutrients and protective buffering. The Firestein team’s breakthrough studies revealed that uric acid can stimulate astroglial cells to produce transporter proteins that carry away compounds, such as glutamate when in excessive concentrations, from neurons in jeopardy of chemical damage. This opens the door to identifying a unique drug target for new therapies.
Uric acid’s effects on the health of neurons had been observed by other researchers, but the mechanics of how it confers protection has remained a mystery.
In addition to the scientific achievement, the research study is a model for student involvement and education. Among the co-authors, postdoctoral associate Yangzhou Du is teaching Firestein more about astroglial cells, while he is learning about neurons from her. Christopher Chen was a Henry Rutgers Honors undergraduate student on the study, and Yuval Eisenberg, a laboratory technician; both now attend medical school. Another student, Chia-Yi Tseng is continuing her graduate studies in Firestein’s laboratory.
The study was supported by a grant from the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research.
