Browse the latest research summaries in the field of genetics for spinal cord injury patients and caregivers.
Showing 1-10 of 1,773 results
Frontiers in Neurology, 2011 • January 4, 2011
This study analyzes the acute gene expression changes in adult rats after ventral root avulsion and replantation. Gene array analysis combined with cluster analysis of gene ontology search terms was u...
KEY FINDING: The study observed a significantly larger number of genes related to neurite growth and development in rats treated with ventral root replantation, suggesting a neuroregenerative capacity.
Cell Mol Neurobiol, 2011 • January 23, 2011
The study demonstrates that electrical stimulation enhances BDNF expression in spinal cord neurons both in vivo and in vitro. The increase in BDNF expression is mediated by a Ca2+-dependent pathway, a...
KEY FINDING: Electrical stimulation increases BDNF expression in spinal cord neurons both in vivo and in vitro.
Exp Neurol, 2012 • May 1, 2012
Regeneration and structural plasticity are regulated by a delicate balance of growth-promoting and growth-inhibiting influences in the injured adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Gene therap...
KEY FINDING: Injured axons remain responsive to neurotrophic factor delivery, even in chronic stages of injury, responding with enhanced neuronal survival and axon growth.
JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA, 2011 • April 1, 2011
This study developed a recombinant adenovirus (Adv-GFP) that preferentially and bidirectionally labels the rubrospinal tract (RST) in rodents. Adv-GFP was used to visualize and quantify RST axons afte...
KEY FINDING: Adv-GFP preferentially and exclusively labeled the RST both retrogradely and anterogradely.
JoVE, 2011 • January 1, 2011
Schwann cells are promising for spinal cord injury repair due to their ability to support axonal regeneration. However, their limited integration with host astrocytes poses a challenge. In vitro assay...
KEY FINDING: Schwann-astrocyte co-cultures show a sharp boundary, especially when Schwann cell proliferation is enhanced using forskolin and BPE.
Gene, 2011 • July 1, 2011
The study demonstrates that miR-146a regulates cartilage-degrading proteases and pain-associated inflammatory molecules in knee joint tissues. MiR-146a functions in an anti-catabolic manner by antagon...
KEY FINDING: MiR-146a suppresses extracellular matrix proteins in human knee chondrocytes and regulates inflammatory cytokines in human knee joint synovial cells.
PNAS, 2011 • April 12, 2011
This study investigates the role of STAT3, a transcription factor, in axon regeneration in the peripheral and central nervous systems using in vivo imaging and genetic manipulations in mice. The findi...
KEY FINDING: Deletion of STAT3 in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons impairs regeneration of peripheral DRG branches after a nerve cut.
J Comp Neurol, 2011 • June 1, 2011
This study characterized zebrafish myelin protein zero (P0) using novel antibodies, determining its biochemical properties, subcellular localization, and expression patterns in the central nervous sys...
KEY FINDING: Zebrafish P0 is a 23.5 kDa glycoprotein containing a 3 kDa N-linked carbohydrate moiety.
JBC, 2011 • May 20, 2011
This study profiles phosphoprotein signaling networks in neurites during growth and retraction to identify key regulatory mechanisms. Microporous filter method was used to purify neurites, followed by...
KEY FINDING: Identified over 4000 non-redundant phosphorylation sites from 1883 proteins, mapping to signaling pathways controlling kinase/phosphatase networks, cytoskeleton remodeling, and axon/dendrite specification.
PLoS ONE, 2011 • March 28, 2011
This study identifies gecko CD59 as a molecule implicated in proximodistal (PD) identity during tail regeneration in Gekko japonicus. The researchers found that CD59 expression is dynamically regulate...
KEY FINDING: CD59 transcripts display a graded expression in the adult gecko spinal cord with the highest level in the anterior segment, with a stable expression along the normal tail.