Semax peptide targets the mu opioid receptor gene Oprm1 to promote deubiquitination and functional recovery after spinal cord injury in female mice
Liu R, Chen Y, Huang H, et al. (2025). British Journal of Pharmacology.
Summary
Tested semax in mice whose spinal cords had been injured by controlled impact, alongside a cell model of neuroinflammation. Treated mice recovered more movement on standard scoring, footprint and inclined-plane tests, and showed less of the lysosome-related cell death that follows spinal injury, with lower oxidative stress. Combining RNA sequencing with computational docking, the authors identify the mu opioid receptor as a target and a deubiquitinating enzyme, USP18, as the route by which the effect runs; knocking USP18 down removed the benefit. Mouse and cell work in one sex only.