Basic Study
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World J Stem Cells. Jul 26, 2025; 17(7): 101929
Published online Jul 26, 2025. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i7.101929
X inactive-specific transcript regulates mitochondrial function and neuronal differentiation of stem cells via IGF2BP2/CPT1A axis in models of spinal cord injury
Si-Xiang Zeng, Jin-Tao Ye, Si-Hua Huang, Ruo-Xi Liu
Si-Xiang Zeng, Jin-Tao Ye, Si-Hua Huang, Ruo-Xi Liu, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Si-Hua Huang and Ruo-Xi Liu.
Author contributions: Huang SH was the guarantor and designed the study; Zeng SX and Ye JT participated in the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the data and drafted the initial manuscript; Ye JT, Huang SH, and Liu RX revised the article critically for important intellectual content; All authors participated in this study and jointly reviewed and edited the manuscript. Huang SH and Liu RX as corresponding authors have made equal contributions to this work. There are three main reasons for deciding to designate Huang SH and Liu RX as co-corresponding authors. First, this study was conducted as a collaborative effort, and it is reasonable to designate a co-corresponding author. The author accurately reflects the allocation of responsibilities and burdens related to the time and effort required to complete the research and final manuscript. Designating two co-corresponding authors will ensure effective communication and management of post submission matters, thereby improving the quality and reliability of the paper. Second, the co-corresponding authors of the research team come from the same field of expertise and skills, and their appointments best reflect this diversity. It also promotes the most comprehensive and in-depth exploration of research topics, ultimately enriching readers’ understanding by providing various expert perspectives. Third, throughout the entire research process, Huang SH and Liu RX contributed equallly. These researchers were selected as co-corresponding authors, acknowledging and respecting their equal contributions, demonstrating the spirit of collaboration and teamwork in this study. We believe that designating Huang SH and Liu RX as co-corresponding authors is suitable for our manuscript as it accurately reflects our team’s spirit of cooperation, equal contribution, and diversity.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All procedures involving animals are reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. JW-WW-2022091107.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Si-Hua Huang, MD, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 157 Xiwu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China. mbyp180@163.com
Received: February 12, 2025
Revised: March 7, 2025
Accepted: June 25, 2025
Published online: July 26, 2025
Processing time: 162 Days and 1.1 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: This study highlighted the critical role of long non-coding RNA X inactive-specific transcript (XIST) in enhancing neural stem cell function for spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment. XIST significantly improved motor recovery and reduced inflammation in mouse models of SCI by promoting mitochondrial function and neuronal differentiation. These findings suggested that XIST regulated carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A expression via the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 pathway, providing a promising therapeutic target for the development of effective interventions against irreversible neurological deficits in SCI. Further exploration of the long-term effects of XIST may advance its clinical applications.