Neuron findings could lead to treatments for spinal cord injury and stroke

A recent study by neuroscientists at Brown University's Carney Institute for Brain Science has uncovered a genetic mechanism that could potentially lead to treatments for spinal cord injury and stroke. Published in PNAS, the researchers discovered a genetic "atlas" of neuronal development that sheds new light on how axons, the long projections of nerve cells, navigate to reach their targets.

Traditionally, it was thought that axons guide themselves to their destination based on environmental cues at the tip. However, this new research challenges that notion, revealing that the control center of the neuron—its cell body—contains a genetic switch that directs the axon's growth. When axons pass through specific midline waystations during development, the cell body's gene expression changes, activating different guidance molecules that help the axon correctly navigate to its destination.

Study author Alexander Jaworski explains, "We discovered that during development, neurons turn on and off entire groups of genes that allow their axons to grow through different sections of their path. That's surprising." This finding opens the door to understanding how to repair broken neural connections following conditions like stroke or spinal cord injury.

This genetic atlas, comprising gene expression data for over 12,000 neurons across various developmental stages, provides a powerful resource for researchers studying neural regeneration. By understanding how groups of genes collaborate to influence axon pathfinding, scientists may be able to develop strategies to guide axons to their correct targets after damage. The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and an Innovation Award from the Carney Institute for Brain Science.