Noncoding RNAs: Novel Insights into Postoperative Neurocognitive Disorders

The role of astrocyte in neuroinflammation in traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a significant contributor to mortality and morbidity worldwide, is a devastating condition characterized by initial mechanical damage followed by subsequent biochemical processes, including neuroinflammation. Astrocytes, the predominant glial cells in the central nervous system, play a vital role in maintaining brain homeostasis and supporting neuronal function. Nevertheless, in response to TBI, astrocytes undergo substantial phenotypic alternations and actively contribute to the neuroinflammatory response. This article explores the multifaceted involvement of astrocytes in neuroinflammation subsequent to TBI, with a particular emphasis on their activation, release of inflammatory mediators, modulation of the blood-brain barrier, and interactions with other immune cells. A comprehensive understanding the dynamic interplay between astrocytes and neuroinflammation in the condition of TBI can provide valuable insights into the development of innovative therapeutic approaches aimed at mitigating secondary damage and fostering neuroregeneration.

A crosstalk between circular RNA, microRNA, and messenger RNA in the development of various brain cognitive disorders

Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and postoperative neurocognitive disorder (POND) are commonly faced with neurocognitive disorders with limited therapeutic options. Some non-coding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) are involved in the development of various brain cognitive disorders. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a typical group of ncRNAs, can function as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to dysregulate shared microRNAs (miRNAs) at post-transcription level, inhibiting regulation of miRNAs on their targeted messenger RNAs (mRNAs). circRNAs are abundant in central nervous system (CNS) diseases and cause brain disorders, but the exact roles of circRNAs are unclear. The crosstalk between circRNA, miRNA, and mRNA plays an important role in the pathogenesis of these neurocognitive dysfunction diseases and abnormal conditions including AD, PD, stroke, TBI, and POND. In this review, we summarized the participation of circRNA in neuroglial damage and inflammation. Finally, we aimed to highlight the regulatory mechanisms of circRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks in the development of various brain cognitive disorders and provide new insights into the therapeutics of these diseases.