About this Research Topic
This Research Topic aims to highlight the relevance and shortcomings of existing TBI mouse models, mainly those based on weight drop, fluid percussion injury, controlled cortical impact injury, and blast injury. It is even more pertinent to acknowledge the limitations of recently introduced models, such as penetrating ballistic-like brain injury and CHIMERA models. Moreover, deregulation of intracellular mechanisms in affected brain cells ought to be studied along pathways of apoptosis, DNA damage, oxidative stress, glucose metabolism, calcium influx, neuronal plasticity, and others. Such processes can be investigated by state-of-the-art techniques including RNA sequencing, optogenetics, in vivo electrophysiology and neuroproteomics. A focused approach of this sort – investigating the cellular context in mouse models following neurotrauma – will likely bring animal research a step closer to useful translational applications.
The scope of this Research Topic encompasses all attempts at unraveling TBI damage in rodents, ranging from rapid short-term molecular changes in the perilesional area, to persistent long-term outcomes that set the stage to more serious neurodegenerative phenotypes. Equally relevant are reports on pharmacological and neurotherapeutic interventions that can potentially ameliorate defects following brain injury. We also welcome updated reviews on existing molecular discrepancies of TBI in rodents vs. humans. In addition, perspectives on how to next reconcile the two bodies of literature (i.e. in mice and humans) can help guide researchers to new translational avenues. All in all, the aim of this collection is to serve as a reference that will help resolve much of the concerns on reproducibility and basic-to-clinical aspects of TBI pathology.
Keywords: traumatic brain injury, mouse models, intracellular processes, in vivo, basic-to-translational research, reproducibility
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.