{
  "abstract": "Study Design: Systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.\n\nObjective: To compare the efficacy and safety of methylprednisolone (MP), erythropoietin (EPO), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and minocycline for the treatment of acute spinal cord injury (ASCI).\n\nMethods: MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to 15 June 2025. Randomized and nonrandomized comparative studies were eligible. Bayesian random-effects network meta-analyses compared MP, EPO, EPO plus MP, G-CSF, and minocycline. Treatment effects were reported as odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% credible intervals (CrIs). Model convergence and fit, heterogeneity, predictive intervals, and global and local inconsistency were evaluated. Follow-up-stratified and exploratory restriction analyses were performed where feasible. Formal comparison-level Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis (CINeMA) assessment was not feasible; certainty was appraised qualitatively across its six domains.\n\nResults: Twenty comparative reports were included: nine randomized and 11 nonrandomized reports. For neurological grade improvement, G-CSF was associated with higher odds of improvement than the common control node (OR = 5.12, 95% CrI 1.15–32.42). Estimates for EPO (OR = 4.87, 95% CrI 0.44–135.90), EPO plus MP (OR = 3.44, 95% CrI 0.09–164.02), and MP (OR = 1.31, 95% CrI 0.30–5.72) were imprecise and included the null. For change in ASIA Motor Score, G-CSF had the largest point estimate (MD = 11.49, 95% CrI −0.44 to 23.49), followed by minocycline (MD = 6.83, −15.24–28.75), EPO (MD = 6.75, −13.16–26.42), and MP (MD = 2.28, −6.24–10.94); all credible intervals crossed zero. For overall adverse events, the estimate for MP was imprecise (OR = 1.13, 95% CrI 0.58–2.34), while the G-CSF effect was not reliably estimable because near-complete event occurrence produced a highly prior-sensitive posterior. Other safety estimates were imprecise.\n\nConclusion: G-CSF showed a potential beneficial signal for neurological grade improvement. However, the limited evidence base, inclusion of nonrandomized and nonconcurrent comparisons, substantial heterogeneity, wide credible and predictive intervals, and uncertain transitivity preclude definitive conclusions about comparative efficacy or safety. Treatment rankings should be regarded as exploratory and do not establish the superiority of any intervention.\n\nSystematic Review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/ , identifier CRD420251027856.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University , ,"
  ],
  "article_type": "systematic review",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yue Peng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Binghan Cai"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yuerong Ren"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qian Jiang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Bing Jiang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lili Xie"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fwrfrzsgr656g.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1942918",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13668820/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "fwrfrzsgr656g",
  "issns": [
    "1663-9812"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13668820",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2734|Spinal Cord Injury Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7215088301",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13668820/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13668820",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fwrfrzsgr656g.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:18Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13668820",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13668820"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:06Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fphar.2026.1942918",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1942918/full"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "issn:1663-9812",
      "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Comparative efficacy and safety of four immunomodulatory agents for acute spinal cord injury: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis",
  "title_text": "Comparative efficacy and safety of four immunomodulatory agents for acute spinal cord injury: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:06Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fwrfrzsgr656g",
  "venue": "Frontiers in pharmacology",
  "versions": []
}