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Nature 403, 312-316 (20 January 2000) | doi:10.1038/35002084; Received 4 August 1999; Accepted 29 October 1999

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Functional regeneration of sensory axons into the adult spinal cord

Matt S. Ramer1, John V. Priestley2 & Stephen B. McMahon1

  1. Neuroscience Research Centre, Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Thomas' Campus, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EH, UK
  2. Neuroscience Section, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Medical Sciences Building, Queen Mary and Westfield College , Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK

Correspondence to: Matt S. Ramer1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to M.S.R. (e-mail: Email: matt.ramer@kcl.ac.uk).

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The arrest of dorsal root axonal regeneration at the transitional zone between the peripheral and central nervous system has been repeatedly described since the early twentieth century1. Here we show that, with trophic support to damaged sensory axons, this regenerative barrier is surmountable. In adult rats with injured dorsal roots, treatment with nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and glial-cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), but not brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), resulted in selective regrowth of damaged axons across the dorsal root entry zone and into the spinal cord. Dorsal horn neurons were found to be synaptically driven by peripheral nerve stimulation in rats treated with NGF, NT3 and GDNF, demonstrating functional reconnection. In behavioural studies, rats treated with NGF and GDNF recovered sensitivity to noxious heat and pressure. The observed effects of neurotrophic factors corresponded to their known actions on distinct subpopulations of sensory neurons. Neurotrophic factor treatment may thus serve as a viable treatment in promoting recovery from root avulsion injuries.

  1. Neuroscience Research Centre, Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Thomas' Campus, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EH, UK
  2. Neuroscience Section, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Medical Sciences Building, Queen Mary and Westfield College , Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK

Correspondence to: Matt S. Ramer1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to M.S.R. (e-mail: Email: matt.ramer@kcl.ac.uk).