Abstract
The ability of the adult central nervous system to recover from injury is highly limited. Limiting factors in the repair process appear to be a combination of an inhibiting environment and the restricted intrinsic capacity of the neuron to reactivate its regenerative machinery. Studies using experimental treatments designed to neutralize the inhibiting environmental conditions and/or to enhance the intrinsic regenerative capacity have brought anatomical evidence of axonal regrowth over long distances in the injured spinal cord. In addition, function recovery in association with axonal regrowth has been reported. This article reviews recent developments in experimental approaches to the repair of the injured spinal cord in mammals.
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