Improving Functional Axonal Regeneration

	Sciatic nerve regeneration through a polyimide microelectrode

The long-term goal of this project is to devise ways for the improvement of functional axonal regeneration in adult animals following acute injury and chronic disease. However, it appears that the regenerative failure of the central nervous system (CNS) reflects the intrinsic inability of adult CNS neurons to survive and reinitiate axonal growth as well as it indicates the lack of a permissive environment for such growth.

 

This bred the idea that the initiation of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) growth program by the expression of certain proteins, and the alteration from a non-permissive environment to a permissive mode, could result in functional axonal regeneration. The purpose of this research is to generate a holistic treatment that will define the conditions permitting the preservation of RGCs and the initiation of the growth program. Furthermore it should afford the generation of a permissive environment that will permit function axonal regeneration of adult RGCs towards their target organ, namely, the lateral geniculate body (superior colliculus).