Endocrine Abstracts

Rescuing neurons from death and promoting axon regeneration through the delivery of individual neurotrophic factors (NTF) to the CNS has proved disappointing. We evaluated in vitro the potency of FGF2, NT-3, and BDNF given singly, or in combination, to trophically support retinal ganglion cells (RGC) in the presence of inhibitory CNS myelin, and demonstrated increased survival and neurite outgrowth greater than the sum of the effects of each NTF given alone. We observed...

Constitutive neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain (sub-ventricular zone, SVZ and dentate gyrus) implies the capacity for self-repair following brain injury. However, brain injury is usually permanently debilitating as neuronal self-repair responses are not sustained and resident neural stem cells (NSC) do not repopulate damaged tissue. Identification of NSC differentiating factors transiently activated post-injury will be key to enhancing NSC mobilisation and differentiat...