Neuronal Brain Injury Repair may be Possible in Future
In the most recent issue of Science, Science Daily reports on a study that has found a way to regenerate neurons in brain and spinal cord injuries. There is currently no treatment for spinal cord or brain injury that allows for injured neurons to regenerate. However, a study from Children’s Hospital in Boston researchers temporarily silenced genes that prevent mature neurons from regenerating. The removal of inhibitory molecules from mice allowed for neuronic re-growth. Although this study used genetic techniques, key researcher Zhigang He, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology at Children's and senior author on the paper, notes that it may be possible to accomplish the same re-growth through pharmacologic means. “This is the first time it has been possible to see such significant regeneration by manipulating single molecules,” says He. “We believe that these findings have opened up the possibility for making small-molecule drugs or developing other approaches to promote axon regeneration.” Kevin Park, PhD, Kai Liu, PhD, Yang Hu, PhD, and Patrice Smith, PhD, all of Children's, share significant authorship of the paper.
