Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2025, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (8): 2300-2301.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-00506

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Neurocircuit regeneration by extracellular matrix reprogramming

Shengzhang Su# , Ian N. Levasseur# , Kimberly M. Alonge*   

  1. Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA (Levasseur IN, Alonge KM)  Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA (Su S)  Department of Medicine, University of Washington Medicine Diabetes Institute, Seattle, WA, USA (Alonge KM)
  • Online:2025-08-15 Published:2024-12-13
  • Contact: Kimberly M. Alonge, PhD, kalonge@uw.edu.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by National Institute on Aging (NIH-NIA) R21 AG074152 (to KMA), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) grant DP2 AI171150 (to KMA), and Department of Defense (DoD) grant AZ210089 (to KMA).

Abstract: The brain’s extracellular matrix (ECM), which is comprised of protein and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) scaffolds, constitutes 20%–40% of the human brain and is considered one of the largest influencers on brain cell functioning (Soles et al., 2023). Synthesized by neural and glial cells, the brain’s ECM regulates a myriad of homeostatic cellular processes, including neuronal plasticity and firing (Miyata et al., 2012), cation buffering (Morawski et al., 2015), and glia–neuron interactions (Anderson et al., 2016). Considering the diversity of functions, dynamic remodeling of the brain’s ECM indicates that this understudied medium is an active participant in both normal physiology and neurological diseases.