Interference with MEK1 signaling to improve nerve sprouting and regeneration

Achieving regeneration in the spinal cord represents one of the major practical challenges in experimental neurobiology. There are two groups of patients with spinal cord damage. Those with incomplete spinal cord transection, show a clear potential for considerable though not complete recovery, through a branching-out process from spared, uninjured fibres. In those, with complete transection, the results are dire, due to the inability of injured fibres to regrow. Interestingly, the current work could help in both groups. The current proposal aims at exploring the effects of a key signal called MEK1, inside the injured nerve cell, on the ability to of these neurons to generate new connections inside brain and spinal cord. It will use genetically manipulated animals that have drastically changed levels of active MEK1 inside the nerve cell. We already know that these animals are more eager to generate nerve connections following damage to peripheral nerves. The key question, to be answered in the current proposal, will be whether this ability could be used to improve recovery following spinal cord damage.