Chondroitinase ABC Promotes Axon Regeneration and Reduces Retrograde Apoptosis Signaling in Lamprey

Spinal cord injuries often lead to paralysis due to the failure of nerve fibers (axons) to regrow. The presence of inhibitory molecules, like chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), in the central nervous system is believed to hinder axon growth. This study used lampreys with complete spinal cord transections to investigate whether ChABC treatment could promote true regeneration of injured axons, reduce retrograde neuronal death, and influence downstream pathways. The researchers found that ChABC treatment not only enhanced axon regeneration after spinal cord injury but also inhibited retrograde reticulospinal (RS) neuronal apoptosis signaling, possibly by reducing PTPσ expression and enhancing Akt activation.

• 1
  ChABC treatment reduces the distance between axon tips and the injury site early after spinal cord injury, suggesting it inhibits axon retraction or promotes early regrowth.
• 2
  ChABC treatment significantly increased the number of reticulospinal neurons with regenerating axons at 10 weeks post-injury, indicating it promotes true axon regeneration.
• 3
  ChABC treatment reduces retrograde neuronal apoptosis signaling, specifically by reducing the number of caspase 3-positive RS neurons, which indicates a protective effect against neuronal death after spinal cord injury.