A new millenium for spinal cord regeneration: growth-associated genes.
BACKGROUND
Neurons surviving spinal cord injury undergo extensive reorganization that may result in the formation of functional synaptic contacts. Many neurons, however, fail to activate the necessary mechanisms for successful regeneration. In this review, we discuss the implications of growth cone genes that we have correlated with successful spinal cord axonal regeneration.


METHODS
Factors that inhibit regeneration, and activation of genes that promote it are discussed.


CONCLUSIONS
The early progress n understanding mechanisms that seem to promote or inhibit regeneration in the central nervous system may have significant clinical utility in the future.
Bulsara
Ketan R
KR
Duke Division of Neurologic Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27705, USA. krb1@acpub.duke.edu
Iskandar
Bermans J
BJ
Villavicencio
Alan T
AT
Skene
J H Pate
JH
D000818:Animals; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000235:genetics; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009185:Myelin Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000235:genetics*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D000070798:Nogo Proteins; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy
C489363:Basp1 protein, mouse; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000070798:Nogo Proteins; C000603199:RTN4 protein, human; C000603201:Rtn4 protein, mouse