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Lost in the jungle: new hurdles for optic nerve axon regeneration

Vincent Pernet1, Martin E Schwab1

  • 1Brain Research Institute, University of Zürich, and Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland.

Trends in Neurosciences
|May 31, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Central nervous system (CNS) axon regeneration is poor. Stimulating growth pathways enhances axon sprouting but causes navigation defects, requiring combined treatments for full CNS repair.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Central Nervous System (CNS) Research

Background:

  • Injured central nervous system (CNS) axons have poor regenerative capacity, leading to permanent neurological deficits.
  • Previous studies showed cytokine or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway stimulation enhances retinal ganglion cell axon regeneration in mice.
  • However, stimulated axons often fail to reach cerebral targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of enhanced growth stimulation on CNS axon regeneration and navigation.
  • To identify strategies for achieving complete regeneration of long CNS axonal tracts.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of axon navigation in the optic nerve and optic chiasm under conditions of strong growth stimulation.
  • Evaluation of the efficacy of combined growth-promoting and guidance strategies.

Main Results:

  • Strong growth stimulation alone leads to axon navigation defects in the optic nerve and optic chiasm.
  • Enhanced sprouting does not guarantee successful target innervation.

Conclusions:

  • Full regeneration of long CNS axonal tracts requires a balanced approach.
  • Combining growth-stimulatory treatments with guidance factors and suppression of inhibitory factors is crucial for successful CNS repair.
Keywords:
Stat3axonal misguidanceaxonal regenerationmTORneurotrophic factorsoptic nerve injury

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