Abstract:

Because the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) has only limited intrinsic capacity to regenerate connections after injury, due to factors both intrinsic and extrinsic to the mature neuron, therapies are required to support the survival of injured neurons and to promote the long-distance regrowth of axons back to their original target structures. The retina and optic nerve (ON) are part of the CNS and this system is much used in experiments designed to test new ways of promoting regeneration after injury. Testing of therapies designed to improve RGC viability also has direct clinical relevance because there is loss of these centrally projecting neurons in many ophthalmic diseases.