Is EphA4 the major molecular regulator of axonal regeneration?

Funded Activity Summary

Spinal cord injury affects a substantial number of Australians each year. Around half the number of spinal cord injury cases result in quadriplegia, with loss of function to a varying degree in the upper as well as the lower limbs. The limited degree of repair of spinal axons following injury means that such paralysis is usually permanent. Although the inability to walk is a serious issue, the limited function of the arms and hands results in a loss of independence which is a major factor contribuing to the enormous personal, financial, and community costs of this problem, estimated to cost the Australian community $200 million a year. In recent years advanced anatomical and molecular approaches to the problem of repair of the central nervous system have provided great insights into the neuronal and glial reactions to neural damage that appear to govern the success or failure of neural regeneration. Our preliminary data indicate that a receptor tyrosine kinase, EphA4, which is important for axonal pathfinding in the developing nervous system, is a potent inhibitor of neural regeneration following spinal cord injury. In this project we will determine the mechanisms by which EphA4 exerts its inhibitory effects, and examine the effect of neutralizing EphA4 signalling on neural regeneration. Success in achieving this result will lead to the development of a therapeutic intervention that we will test in mouse models.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2005

End Date: 01-01-2007

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $491,000.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Central Nervous System

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Astrocyte gliosis | EphA4 | Motor function | Movement dysfunction | Neural regeneration | Neurite outgrowth | Spinal cord injury

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