Functional Regeneration Beyond the Glial Scar

Overview

Journal Exp Neurol

Specialty Neurology

Date 2014 Jan 16

PMID 24424280

Citations 311

Authors

Jared M Cregg

Marc A DePaul

Angela R Filous

Bradley T Lang

Amanda Tran

Jerry Silver

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Astrocytes react to CNS injury by building a dense wall of filamentous processes around the lesion. Stromal cells quickly take up residence in the lesion core and synthesize connective tissue elements that contribute to fibrosis. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells proliferate within the lesion and entrap dystrophic axon tips. Here we review evidence that this aggregate scar acts as the major barrier to regeneration of axons after injury. We also consider several exciting new interventions that allow axons to regenerate beyond the glial scar, and discuss the implications of this work for the future of regeneration biology.

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