The Role of RhoA in Retrograde Neuronal Death and Axon Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury

Following spinal cord injury, severed axons often fail to regenerate, leading to paralysis. This study investigates the role of RhoA, a protein involved in inhibiting axon growth and causing neuronal death, in this process. The researchers used lampreys, which can regenerate axons after spinal cord injury, to study the effects of reducing RhoA levels. They found that lowering RhoA promoted axon regeneration and reduced neuronal death. These findings suggest that targeting RhoA could be a potential therapeutic strategy to enhance axon regeneration and improve outcomes after spinal cord injury.

• 1
  Knockdown of RhoA in vivo by retrogradely-delivered morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MOs) to the RS neurons significantly reduced retrograde apoptosis signaling in identified RS neurons post-SCI.
• 2
  RhoA knockdown slowed axon retraction and possibly increased early axon regeneration in the proximal stump.
• 3
  The number of axons regenerating beyond the lesion more than 5 mm at 10 weeks post-TX also was increased.