Research Progress on the Pyroptosis Mechanism and Related Active Ingredients of Natural Drugs in Spinal Cord Injury

Chen Yong,1,* Jiaxiang Zhang,2,* Jiang Li,1 Chuang Liu,1 Longwang Tan1 1Department of Spinal Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Basic Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Longwang Tan, Department of Spinal Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Weiyang West Road, Qindu District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-15991006188, Email [email protected]: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe neurotraumatic condition for which effective therapeutic options remain limited, and advances in clinical pharmacological research have been slow. The diverse pathophysiological alterations that occur after SCI initiate cellular pyroptosis, which in turn exacerbates tissue damage, impedes neuronal functional recovery, and connects multiple pathological processes involved in SCI. In recent years, research on natural bioactive compounds has made substantial progress in the field of neurotrauma, including SCI, leading to the identification of several compounds capable of effectively modulating pyroptosis and promoting functional recovery. Therefore, a comprehensive synthesis of the mechanisms underlying pyroptosis during SCI pathophysiology, along with an overview of natural bioactive constituents with the potential to modulate SCI-related pyroptosis, may provide useful insights for future pharmacological studies, mechanistic investigations, and clinical management of SCI. Keywords: spinal cord injury, pyroptosis, natural bioactive compounds, central nervous system, NLRP3