RNA Sequencing and Spatial Transcriptomics in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (Review)

In order to understand the fundamental mechanisms of the spinal cord functioning, it is necessary to reveal a complete set of cell types and their populations, which can be identified by the unique combination of their features. The technologies of single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing serve as effective tools for determining the role of various types of cells in normal and pathological reactions in the spinal cord. Spatial transcriptomics combines these technologies with the methods of obtaining and saving spatial information about cells in the tissue, which allows one to localize more precisely the injured area, characterize in detail the tissue compartments in the specific anatomical region, and analyze the pathological picture at the cellular and molecular level.

Atlases of development of RNA-sequencing technologies and spatial transcriptomics created on the basis of the data from single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing open great opportunities for new perspective concepts concerning the mechanisms of rearranging neural connections and restoration of sensorimotor functions in traumatic spine injury. The transcriptomes obtained were a powerful resource for detecting new functions of the nervous tissue cells. To establish therapeutic targets, the detected molecular diversity in neurons of various types enables tracing and comparing their susceptibility and regenerative potential. Determination of causes of selective cell susceptibility in spinal cord injury needs comprehensive information on the specificity of human cell populations in comparison with the known data obtained on the experimental models.

In the present review, we have summarized advances in identification and study of cell characteristics in a traumatized spinal cord based on transcription profiling at a single-cell or single-nucleus level.

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