Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026

In Situ Visualization of Axon Growth and Growth Cone Dynamics in Acute Ex Vivo Embryonic Brain Slice Cultures
Published on: October 14, 2021
Diltiazem Promotes Regenerative Axon Growth
Eric A Huebner1,2, Stéphane Budel2, Zhaoxin Jiang2
1F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Abstract:
Axotomy results in permanent loss of function after brain and spinal cord injuries due to the minimal regenerative propensity of the adult central nervous system (CNS). To identify pharmacological enhancers of axon regeneration, 960 compounds were screened for cortical neuron axonal regrowth using an in vitro cortical scrape assay. Diltiazem, verapamil, and bromopride were discovered to facilitate axon regeneration in rat cortical cultures, in the presence of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). Diltiazem, an L-type calcium channel blocker (L-CCB), also promotes axon outgrowth in adult primary mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and induced human sensory (iSensory) neurons.
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