The study found that inhibiting the HMGB1-RAGE axis decreased the number of pro-inflammatory cells while increasing anti-inflammatory cells in rats with spinal cord injuries. This led to reduced neuronal and myelin loss, and improved functional recovery. It suggests that targeting HMGB1-RAGE may be a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI.

The authors received funding from various research foundations and universities, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Shaanxi Science Research Project, Xi'an Health Commission, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China. However, no direct conflicts related to the subject matter of the research were identified.

The research demonstrates the potential of targeting the HMGB1-RAGE axis to control inflammatory responses and improve recovery after SCI. It uses a variety of methods to study the effects of treatment, both in-vitro and in-vivo. While there may be some debate about the choice of drugs used, the thoroughness of the research and the positive outcomes warrant a rating of 4.