Axonal guidance molecules and the failure of axonal regeneration in the adult mammalian spinal cord

Abstract

A wide variety of molecules are involved as attractive or repulsive guidance cues in the developing nervous system. Some of these molecules are also expressed in the CNS of adult mammals where, following injury, they may repel regenerating axons, inhibit axonal regrowth, or control the behaviour of other cells important for the development of the meningeal and glial scars or the immune response to injury. Ephrins, semaphorins, Slits, Netrins, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and Wnts are among the most likely molecules to be involved in limiting axonal regeneration in the injured spinal cord. The receptors for these molecules are not universally expressed by neurons but there is evidence that ephrins and semaphorins limit regeneration of particular classes of axon into spinal cord lesion sites. It is likely that other repulsive guidance cues will also differentially affect the regeneration of specific tracts within the spinal cord. In addition to direct effects on axonal regeneration, many axonal guidance molecules have effects on glial, meningeal or immune system cells which also modulate the responses of CNS tissue to injury.