Research Of PTEN Deletion And Neural Stem Cells Implantation To Repair Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious tramatic central nerve system injury disease. There are more than 40,000,000 people suffer from SCI worldwide every year. It causes paralysis after spinal cord injury. Nerve regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury face three major challenges:① Secondary SCI deteriorates primary SCI;② The damaged axons have extremely low ability to regenerate;③ The damaged axons can not form functional synapses with the remote target organs. However,unilateral research can not provide reasonable scheme to repair spinal cord injury, this project proposes the following novel strategies:① In vivo two-photon imaging of spinal cord with methylprednisoone therapy after SCI. ② PTEN deletion induce sustained axon regeneration; ③ Neural stem cells (NSC) implantation combined with PTEN deletion to fill the damaged cysts and repair spinal cord injury. The proposed experiments take advantage of our established genetic deletion and two-photon imaging of spinal cord animal models to monitor axon regeneration induced by PTEN deletion, and NSC transplantation at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. We will be able to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms underlying axon regeneration after spinal cord injury. The proposed studies will also provide new insights into developing novel strategies for repairing spinal cord injury in patients.