Regenerative capacity in the lamprey spinal cord is not altered after a repeated transection

PLoS ONE, 2019 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204193 · Published: January 30, 2019

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Neurology

Simple Explanation

Lampreys, unlike mammals, can regenerate their spinal cords after injury. This study investigates if this regenerative capacity persists after repeated spinal cord transections. The researchers found that lampreys can recover swimming ability and regenerate nerve tissues just as well after a second spinal cord cut as after the first. This suggests that lampreys have a robust and persistent ability to regenerate their spinal cords, offering insights for potential regenerative therapies.

Study Duration

11 weeks post-injury (wpi) after each transection

Participants

18 late stage larval sea lampreys

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Lampreys exhibit normal functional recovery of swimming after two successive spinal cord transections.
2
Axon, synapse, and cytoskeletal distributions are comparable after spinal transection and re-transection.
3
Regeneration of giant reticulospinal (RS) neurons was similar after spinal transection and re-transection.

Research Summary

This study investigates the resilience of spinal cord regeneration in lampreys after a second spinal transection (re-transection). The findings indicate that lampreys regenerate just as robustly after spinal re-transection as after single transections in terms of functional and anatomical measures. The study suggests a greater persistent regenerative potential in lampreys compared to other regenerative models, offering potential targets for non-regenerative conditions.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

Understanding the mechanisms behind the lamprey's persistent regenerative capacity could lead to new therapies for spinal cord injuries in humans.

Drug Development

Identifying pro-regenerative targets in lampreys could lead to the development of drugs that promote spinal cord regeneration.

Comparative Biology

Comparing the regenerative mechanisms in lampreys with those in non-regenerative models can highlight the key factors that enable successful regeneration.

Study Limitations

1
The study focuses primarily on anatomical and functional recovery, with limited molecular analysis.
2
Long-term dynamic imaging is needed to unequivocally determine the regenerative capacity of individual giant RS neurons.
3
Regeneration mechanisms in the dorsal tracts of the re-transected spinal cords, which carry sensory information, were not explored.

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