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Reformation of long axon pathways in adult rat central nervous system by human forebrain neuroblasts

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Abstract

THE failure of lesioned axons to regenerate over long distances in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is not due to an inability of central neurons to regenerate, but rather to the non-permissive nature of the CNS tissue environment1–4. Regenerating CNS axons, which grow well within a peripheral nerve, for example, fail to penetrate mature CNS tissue by more than about 1 mm1,5,6. Recent evidence indicates that this may be due to inhibitory membrane proteins associated with CNS oligodendrocytes and myelin2–4,7,8. We report here that human telencephalic neuroblasts implanted into the excitotoxically lesioned striatum of adult rats can escape or neutralize this inhibitory influence of the adult CNS environment and extend axons along major myelinated fibre tracts for distances of up to ∼20 mm. The axons were seen to elongate along the paths of the striato-nigral and cortico-spinal tracts to reach the substantia nigra, the pontine nuclei and the cervical spinal cord, which are the normal targets for the striatal and cortical projection neurons likely to be present in these implants.

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Author notes

  1. Björn Gustavii: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, S-22185 Lund, Sweden

  2. Olle Lindvall: Department of Neurology, University Hospital, S-22185 Lund, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Cell Research, University of Lund, Biskopsgatan 5, S-22362, Lund, Sweden

    Klas Wictorin, Patrik Brundin, Björn Gustavii, Olle Lindvall & Anders Björklund

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  1. Klas Wictorin
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  2. Patrik Brundin
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  3. Björn Gustavii
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  4. Olle Lindvall
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  5. Anders Björklund
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Wictorin, K., Brundin, P., Gustavii, B. et al. Reformation of long axon pathways in adult rat central nervous system by human forebrain neuroblasts. Nature 347, 556–558 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/347556a0

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