Investigating strategies to enhance axonal regeneration in the CNS

Spinal cord injury is a devastating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in loss of function below the site of injury. While spinal cord axons can regenerate in a permissive environment, such as the peripheral nerve, they show only limited, if any, regeneration in the CNS. The authors are investigating a synthetic conduit that mimics some of the attributes of the peripheral nerve while allowing the axons to penetrate beyond the conduit into the CNS. In particular, they are studying both contact-mediated and diffusible cues to promote regeneration. To mimic contact mediated cues, the authors are modifying surfaces with one or both of the cell adhesive peptides of laminin-YIGSR and IKVAV-and studying cellular response in vitro. To mimic the diffusible cues, the authors are studying the release and bioactivity of neurotrophic factors and the effects of a nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration gradient on axonal migration in vitro.