Molecular Innovations and Translational Strategies in Spinal Cord Injury and Degenerative Compressive Myelopathy

The spinal cord is the principal conduit linking the brain to peripheral targets, and it is vulnerable to two distinct but converging insults: acute traumatic injury and chronic compressive injury from degenerative spinal disease, such as cervical spondylotic myelopathy and lumbar disc herniation. Despite different origins, both pathways share a common endpoint — a hostile molecular microenvironment that overwhelms the limited intrinsic repair capacity of the mammalian central nervous system, driving persistent neurological dysfunction. Understanding the cellular and molecular architecture of this injury response and translating that understanding into actionable therapeutic and surgical strategies, remains one of the central challenges in neurotrauma research.This Research Topic focuses on bridging computational discovery, molecular mechanism, and clinical practice in spinal cord injury and degenerative compressive myelopathy. We are particularly interested in work that uses single-cell and bulk transcriptomic approaches to resolve the cellular heterogeneity and gene regulatory networks underlying injury and repair, and that applies computational drug discovery — high-throughput virtual screening, molecular docking, and AI-assisted compound design — to identify novel therapeutic candidates targeting these molecular pathways. We equally welcome studies that experimentally validate such targets using stem cell, biomaterial, or biomechanical models, as well as clinical and translational research examining neurological recovery, prognosis, and surgical decision-making in cervical spondylotic myelopathy and lumbar disc herniation.By connecting omics-driven target discovery, computational drug screening, mechanistic validation, and clinical outcome research, this Research Topic aims to accelerate the path from molecular insight to therapeutic and surgical strategy for spinal cord injury and degenerative compressive disease.We welcome submissions in areas including, but not limited to:o Single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing, and network analysis (e.g., WGCNA) to characterize cellular heterogeneity, hub genes, and molecular pathways driving spinal cord/nerve injury and degenerative compressive myelopathy.o High-throughput virtual screening, molecular docking, and AI/computer-aided drug design (CADD) to identify novel compounds targeting degeneration or repair pathways.o Stem cell-, biomaterial-, or biomechanics-based experimental validation of computationally identified therapeutic targets or repair strategies.o Machine learning and statistical models for predicting neurological recovery or surgical outcomes following spine surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy and lumbar disc herniation.o Molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in chronic spinal cord compression, and their relationship to injury severity and repair potential.o Clinical studies correlating surgical strategy or timing with molecular/cellular markers of neurological recovery. Topic editors: Weihang Li, Chen Xu, Yori Endo Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85484/molecular-innovations-and-translational-strategies-in-spinal-cord-injury-and-degenerative-compressive-myelopathy