Press release: Study Reveals the Intrinsic Immune Mechanism that Boosts Axon Regeneration in the Adult Nervous System
- cherryqylu
- Nov 24, 2022
- 1 min read
This article was originally published on EurekAlert! on November 18, 2022
Damages to the central nervous system (CNS), for example in the case of spinal cord injury, can result in permanent loss of sensory and motor function. It is because the severed axons are unable to regenerate. As of today, there are very limited options to help these patients regain their motor abilities. Scientists have been exploring ways to enable the regeneration of severed axons, with a view to developing viable treatments in the long term.
In a study using mice, a research team led by Cheng Associate Professor Kai LIU of the Division of Life Science, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), untangled some of the complexities in the regeneration of severed axons. They found that the deletion of PTPN2, a phosphatase-coding gene, in neurons can prompt axons to regrow. When combined with the type II interferon IFNγ, it can further accelerate the process and boost the number of axons regenerated. The results have recently been published in the scientific journal Neuron.
