Regeneration of the dorsal column tract in chronic spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injuries pose significant challenges as there are currently no effective therapeutic interventions available, leading to irreversible functional deficits.

While peripheral nerve graft (PNG) transplantation has shown promise in clinical trials for complete injuries, its reliance on surgical removal of spinal scar tissue presents limitations.

To address this, we´ve developed a novel PNG therapy and mouse model that redirects axon growth to neuronal targets, bypassing the injury site and reducing exposure to inhibitory factors in the CNS environment.

This approach holds potential for extending nerve graft therapy to incomplete injuries across different shapes and spinal levels. Our objective is to evaluate the therapeutic potential of our novel SCI-repair method. Specifically, we focus on repairing sensory fibers of the dorsal column tracts, reconnecting them to brainstem nuclei.

Using a combination of viral tracing and transgenic mice in our 3D imaging setup, we aim to elucidate the fundamental features of the 3-step axon-regeneration process through PNGs.

The research involves investigating axonal regeneration after various surgical approaches associated to PNG transplantation.

Additionally, we aim to explore axon regeneration in conjunction with co-treatments, microglia manipulation, and neural stem cell co-transplantation using this model. Through these efforts, we aim to enhance our understanding of the therapeutic potential of PNG for SCI.