Insights into the role of the mechanosensitive Piezo1 channel and signaling mechanisms in CNS functions and diseases

Zhang M 1 , Ge Y 2 , Wang Z 3 , Li H 2 , Wang G 2 , Zhang Y 2 Show all authors , Wang X 2 , Hou H 4 , Meng L 4 , Wei L 4 , Meng D 4 , Wang L 4 , Sheng HY 4 , Yin Y 4 , Mortadza SAS 5 , Roger S 6 , Li J 7 , Ren F 8 , Jiang LH 9

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Sino-UK Joint Laboratory of Brain Function and Injury of Henan Province, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China; School of Physical Education, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China
  • 2 Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Sino-UK Joint Laboratory of Brain Function and Injury of Henan Province, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China
  • 3 Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Sino-UK Joint Laboratory of Brain Function and Injury of Henan Province, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China; School of Physical Education, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China
  • 4 Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Sino-UK Joint Laboratory of Brain Function and Injury of Henan Province, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China
  • 5 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
  • 6 INSERM U1327 ISCHEMIA 'Membrane Signalling and Inflammation in Reperfusion Injuries', Faculty of Medicine, University of Tours, France
  • 7 The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK
  • 8 Henan International Joint Laboratory of Immunity and Targeted Therapy for Liver-Intestinal Tumors, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China. Electronic address: renfenng@xxmu.edu.cn
  • 9 Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Sino-UK Joint Laboratory of Brain Function and Injury of Henan Province, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Medical University, Xinxiang, China; INSERM U1327 ISCHEMIA 'Membrane Signalling and Inflammation in Reperfusion Injuries', Faculty of Medicine, University of Tours, France; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK. Electronic address: jianglinhua@xxmu.edu.cn
Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2026 Apr;183:106562.
PMID: 41544798 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106562

Abstract

The mechanosensitive Piezo1 channel is widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS), expressed by neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, neural stem and progenitor cells, retinal ganglion and photoreceptor cells and, moreover, neurovascular and lymphatic endothelial cells, implicating an important role for the Piezo1 channel in the CNS physiology and disease. Indeed, recent studies have disclosed that the Piezo1 channel plays a vital part in mediating or modulating numerous CNS functions, ranging from brain development, synapse function, neurogenesis, axonal (re)generation, axonal pathfinding, astrocyte-neuron communication, axonal myelination, immune response, brain vasculature modelling to cerebrospinal fluid drainage. There is also increasing evidence to indicate critical engagement of the Piezo1 channel in the pathogenesis and progression of multiple debilitating CNS conditions, exemplified by spinal cord injury, stroke and related ischemia/reperfusion brain damage, neurodegenerative diseases, and age-related macular degeneration. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding and highlight the unanswered questions regarding the roles and mechanisms of the Piezo1 channel in CNS functions and diseases, presenting the Piezo1 channel as an attractive therapeutic target to intervene CNS damage and diseases.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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