Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury through Neuroprotection by Lipoic Acid-Loaded Hollow Mesoporous Prussian Blue Nanozymes

Abstract The key obstacle to functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) is the imbalance of the oxidative stress microenvironment in the injured area. Traditional drug therapies have limitations in regulating this environment, and eliminating the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is crucial. In this study, an environmentally friendly and economical recombinant nanoenzyme (LA-HMPB) was successfully constructed, which achieves delivery to the SCI injury site and enhances the therapeutic capacity of lipoic acid (LA). This nanoenzyme alleviates oxidative stress through the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway, thereby promoting functional recovery after SCI. The research found that HMPB not only serves as a carrier but also enhances the antioxidant stress capacity of LA. After administration, LA-HMPB can distribute to the SCI site and exert its effects. It has been confirmed that this formulation reduces oxidative stress levels by regulating the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway, thereby promoting functional recovery. This natural nano-drug delivery platform strategy opens up broad prospects for the clinical treatment of SCI and provides a useful reference for the research on antioxidant therapy for other neurological diseases.