EXPRESS: A Road to Recovery: Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Channels as Therapeutic Avenues for Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers a cascade of secondary insults—including vascular disruption, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis—that worsen neurological outcomes. Among the molecular mediators, transient receptor potential (TRP) channels have emerged as pivotal regulators of SCI pathology. Distinct subtypes contribute to diverse processes: TRPV1 and TRPA1 drive pain hypersensitivity and inflammation, TRPM2 and TRPM7 amplify oxidative injury and barrier breakdown, TRPC6 shapes astrocyte reactivity, while TRPML1 may confer neuroprotection via autophagy. Although these insights highlight TRPs as attractive therapeutic targets, clinical translation is hampered by widespread channel distribution, poor selectivity of available modulators, and systemic toxicity. Advancing SCI treatment will require innovative strategies to selectively modulate TRP signaling, exploit targeted delivery systems, and integrate TRP modulation into multimodal therapeutic approaches.