Can Peripheral Nervous System Regenerative Mechanisms be Introduced into the Central Nervous System?

The nervous system in general is not particularly regenerative, but peripheral nervous system tissue is more capable of repair than central nervous system tissue. Focusing on neurons that link these two parts of the nervous system, researchers here report on mechanisms involved in repair of nervous system cells, and propose that it might be possible to make central nervous system cells act more like peripheral nervous system cells in this regard. Whether or not this can be achieved safely is another question, however; this is very early stage work, too early to answer many questions about safety and plausibility. Neurons in the central nervous system - the brain and spinal cord - and the peripheral nervous system are very similar except in their ability to regenerate. Researchers realized that studying peripheral neurons could help us understand why some damaged neurons regenerate and others do not. They turned to a unique kind of sensory cell that spans both nervous systems. Known as dorsal root ganglion neurons, these cells have long tendrils, called axons, with two offshoots. One branch of the axon connects to cells in the body's periphery and can regenerate if cut; the other side links up with cells in the spinal cord and cannot regrow after injury. The researchers grew mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons in the lab and then cut them to find out what biological processes occur as the cells regrow their axons. They also cut the sciatic nerve - which runs up ...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs