Extrinsic and Intrinsic Regulation of Axon Regeneration by MicroRNAs after Spinal Cord Injury

Extrinsic and intrinsic regulation of axon regeneration at a crossroads

Repair of the injured spinal cord is a major challenge in medicine. The limited intrinsic regenerative response mounted by adult central nervous system (CNS) neurons is further hampered by astrogliosis, myelin debris and scar tissue that characterize the damaged CNS. Improved axon regeneration and recovery can be elicited by targeting extrinsic factors as well as by boosting neuron-intrinsic gr...

Messages from forgotten friends: classic cell adhesion molecules inhibit regeneration too.

A necessary step toward complete functional recovery after spinal cord injury is the regeneration of axons. Axon regrowth after injury is prevented by a myriad of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Huang et al (2016) demonstrate that the cell adhesion molecule NB-3 (CNTN6) functions as a major brake on axon regrowth when it is activated by NB-3 from scar-forming...

Regeneration-associated macrophages: a novel approach to boost intrinsic regenerative capacity for axon regeneration

Axons in central nervous system (CNS) do not regenerate spontaneously after injuries such as stroke and traumatic spinal cord injury. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors are responsible for the regeneration failure. Although intensive research efforts have been invested on extrinsic regeneration inhibitors, the extent to which glial inhibitors contribute to the regeneration failure in vivo sti...

Extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms of axon regeneration: the need for spinal cord injury treatment strategies to address both

Combined Intrinsic and Extrinsic Neuronal Mechanisms Facilitate Bridging Axonal Regeneration One Year after Spinal Cord Injury

Despite advances in promoting axonal regeneration after acute spinal cord injury (SCI), elicitation of bridging axon regeneration after chronic SCI remains a formidable challenge. We report that combinatorial therapies administered 6 weeks, and as long as 15 months, after SCI promote axonal regeneration into and beyond a midcervical lesion site. Provision of peripheral nerve conditioning lesion...