The collagenous wound healing scar in the injured central nervous system inhibits axonal regeneration

Abstract

Following traumatic injuries of the central nervous system (CNS) a wound healing scar, resembling the molecular structure of a basement membrane and mainly composed of Collagen type IV and associated glycoproteins and proteoglycans, is formed. It is well known that CNS fibers poorly regenerate after traumatic injuries. In this article we summarize data showing that prevention of collagen scar formation enables severed axons in brain and spinal cord to regrow across the lesion site and to elongate in uninjured CNS tissue. We observed that regenerating fibers grow back to their former target where they develop chemical synapses, become remyelinated by resident oligodendrocytes and conduct action potentials. ©2006 Eurekah.com and Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers.