Effect and mechanism of terahertz irradiation in repairing spinal cord injury in mice

Significance: Spinal cord injury (SCI) represents a serious trauma to the central nervous system. Terahertz (THz) irradiation is an emerging technique, it has potential application prospects in the treatment of central nervous system diseases. Aim: We report on the investigation of the effect and mechanism of THz irradiation in repairing SCI in mice. Approach: The effect of THz in SCI was evaluated by the expression of inflammatory factors, the mouse behavioral scale (BMS), and immunofluorescence staining. After RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we determined the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and performed GO and KEGG analysis. Results: After THz irradiation, the inflammatory response, the behavioral function, and the severity of SCI recovered well, indicating that THz irradiation can effectively promote the repair of SCI. GO and KEGG results show that genes related to inflammation, immune regulation, and IL-17 signaling pathway may play an important role in this process. Conclusions: THz irradiation can effectively promote the repair of SCI. Genes related to inflammation, immune regulation, and IL-17 signaling pathway may play an important role in this process.