Grant: Operating Grant

Neurons in the Central Nervous System (CNS) fail to regenerate because of molecules in the environment that block nerve cell repair. This fundamental problem is the basis for much of the clinical disability associated with spinal cord injury and stroke. By identifying the proteins involved in signalling to injured nerve cells to block nerve cell repair, one can develop strategies to overcome the inhibitory nature of the CNS environment. The aim of this grant is to test if we can enhance regeneration in an animal model of CNS injury by inhibiting CRMP4, a protein that we have shown blocks nerve cell repair in a cell culture model. We will also further study the molecular mechanisms through which CRMP4 affects nerve cell repair in an effort to identify additional molecules that may be therapeutic targets for promoting nerve regeneration.