Spinal cord regeneration: intrinsic properties and emerging mechanisms

• Published in: Seminars in cell & developmental biology Vol. 13; no. 5; pp. 361 - 368
• Main Authors: Chernoff, Ellen A.G, Sato, Kazuna, Corn, Angela, Karcavich, Rachel E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2002
• Subjects: amphibian regeneration; Animals; ependymal cell; Nerve Regeneration - physiology; neural stem cell; neurogenesis; Neurons - physiology; Spinal Cord - cytology; Spinal Cord - physiology; spinal cord regeneration; Stem Cells - physiology; amphibian regeneration; neurogenesis; neural stem cell; spinal cord regeneration; ependymal cell
• ISSN: 1084-9521; 1096-3634
• DOI: 10.1016/S1084952102000927

Injured spinal cord regenerates in adult fish and urodele amphibians, young tadpoles of anuran amphibians, lizard tails, embryonic birds and mammals, and in adults of at least some strains of mice. The extent of this regeneration is described with respect to axonal regrowth, neurogenesis, glial responses, and maintenance of an ‘embryonic’ environment. The regeneration process in amphibian spinal cord demonstrates that gap replacement and caudal regeneration share some properties with developing spinal cord. This review considers the extent to which intrinsically regenerating spinal cord demonstrates neural stem cell behavior and to what extent anterior–posterior and dorsal–ventral patterning might be involved.