Elovanoid neuroprotection targets cell transcriptomics and proteomics to sustain synaptic integrity after brain injury.
Giles Brian L, Bhattacharjee Surjyadipta, Ji Jeff X, Mukherjee Pranab K, Belayev Ludmila, Vieira Carlos M, Bazan Nicolas G
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a leading cause of death and disability, is the largest non-genetic, non-aging-related contributor to cognitive impairments. Currently, there are limited effective therapies to protect neurons after acute brain injury. Our results suggest that intranasal-delivered (IN) elovanoid (ELV) shortly after TBI elicits neuroprotection that involves synaptic and mitochondrial pathways that mediate neuroprotection. Using a single-cell multiome approach, we found an upregulation of genes involved in synaptic integrity. Furthermore, we discovered that ELVs improve synaptosomal mitochondrial function, reduce lipid peroxidation, and increase the activity of antioxidant transcriptional programs, including the NRF2 pathway, in neurons. We suggest that these changes, together with the induction of cell-type-specific gene regulation in glutamatergic neurons and other cells, underlie ELV-elicited neuroprotection.
Key Findings
- Intranasal delivery of elovanoid shortly after traumatic brain injury provides neuroprotection.
- Elovanoids enhance synaptic integrity and improve synaptosomal mitochondrial function.
- Elovanoids activate antioxidant transcriptional programs including the NRF2 pathway in neurons.
Clinical Significance
Elovanoid treatment may offer a novel therapeutic approach to protect neurons and sustain synaptic function after traumatic brain injury by activating antioxidant defenses and mitochondrial pathways.
Citation
Giles Brian L, Bhattacharjee Surjyadipta, Ji Jeff Xet al.. Elovanoid neuroprotection targets cell transcriptomics and proteomics to sustain synaptic integrity after brain injury. Communications biology. 2026-Apr-10.