Neurology Research

KEY FINDING: SCI induces dendritic spine remodeling in dorsal horn neurons, characterized by increased spine density, altered spine distribution, and more mature spine morphology.

KEY FINDING: The PDGF-C gene of Gekko japonicus was cloned and found to have a transcript size of 2.8 kb.

KEY FINDING: Certain astrocytes derived from glial-restricted precursors treated with BMP-4 promote spinal cord repair by integrating into host tissue, suppressing scar formation, and encouraging axon regeneration.

KEY FINDING: The optimized method consistently produced astrocyte cultures with greater than 99% purity, as confirmed by immunofluorescence staining against GFAP and OX-42.

KEY FINDING: ChABC normalizes deafferentation-induced compromise of sensory function. Spared-root-lesioned animals treated with ChABC did not show a deficit in their ability to sense the presence of the tape or the ability to remove the tape on any of the postinjury testing days.

KEY FINDING: EPO demonstrates cytoprotection in a variety of tissues, including spinal cord, through activation of multiple signaling pathways.

KEY FINDING: Glial scar resection did not significantly affect functional recovery in the dorsal hemisection model.

KEY FINDING: Sema6A mutants exhibit hypoplasia and misrouting of the corticospinal tract, affecting the number of axons reaching the hindbrain and spinal cord.

KEY FINDING: The research identified nearly 10 FDA-approved compounds capable of simultaneously activating protective and reparative genes, suggesting a broad therapeutic window spanning from acute to chronic injury stages.

KEY FINDING: Wild-type mice developed a more severe glial scar compared to MMP-9 null mice after spinal cord injury, indicating MMP-9's role in glial scar formation.