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Abstract #10501 Published in IGR 6-1
Optic nerve crush: protection and regeneration
Schwartz MBrain Research Bulletin 2004; 62: 467-471
In neurodegenerative disorders, as well as in acute central nervous system (CNS) injuries, the initial impairment triggers a cascade of destructive events, collectively termed secondary degeneration, which eventually cause much more extensive damage. In order to investigate the process of secondary degeneration and ways to prevent it, the authors designed a well-calibrated model of optic nerve crush injury. Until recently, the main purpose of the immune system was thought to be protection of the body against alien pathogens. Since mechanical or biochemical insults do not involve exogenous pathogens, recruitment of the adaptive immune system was not considered relevant in such cases. However, they recently demonstrated that a T-cell-mediated immune response directed against self-antigens residing in the site of damage can be beneficial for the injured optic nerve or spinal cord. This protective autoimmune response was found to be spontaneously evoked in some individuals, but not strongly enough to significantly affect recovery. The aim was to boost this protective response in those individuals capable of spontaneously manifesting it, and to induce it in those incapable of manifesting it spontaneously. Optimal functional recovery requires the application of a proper combination of neuroprotection and neuroregeneration.
Dr. M. Schwartz, Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
Classification:
11.8 Neuroprotection (Part of: 11 Medical treatment)
