Activation of mTor Signaling by Gene Transduction to Induce Axon Regeneration in the Central Nervous System Following Neural Injury

Abstract

A long-standing belief about injuries and diseases of the brain and spinal cord has been that once axons are destroyed, they will not re-grow. This belief is now being challenged. As the brain matures, the genetic programs that control axon growth during development are silenced. Recent evidence shows that reactivation of these programs in the adult successfully induces axon growth. We have shown that reactivation of Akt/mTORC1 signaling, by use of AAV vector transfer, induces regrowth of dopaminergic axons at 3 to 6 weeks after destruction by a neurotoxin. However, this approach cannot be used in humans because Akt/mTORC1 signaling is oncogenic. The goal of this proposal is to refine this approach to achieve restorative effects in the absence of adverse effects.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2017
Accession Number
AD1042324

Entities

People

  • Robert E Burke

Organizations

  • Columbia University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amino Acids
  • Brain
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cellular Structures
  • Central Nervous System
  • Confocal Microscopy
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Gene Therapy
  • Immunostaining
  • Nervous System
  • Neural Pathways
  • Neurodegeneration
  • Neurons
  • Neurosciences
  • Parkinson'S Disease
  • Proteins
  • Therapy

Readers

  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Neuroscience
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology