Molecular Mechanisms of Axon Regeneration: Beyond Transcriptional Regulation

Dear Colleagues,

Insults to the central nervous system (CNS) induce permanent disabilities, as mature CNS axons are not able to regenerate. Because of the increase in cases of traumatic injuries and neurodegenerative diseases, along with the lack of treatments, promoting neuronal growth represents a great challenge for neurobiology and public health. Since 2008, axon regeneration has been unlocked by modulating neuronal pathways. Indeed, the activation of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) induces, in several models of injury, axon regeneration. Since this major breakthrough, a lot of effort has been deployed to uncover the molecular mechanisms necessary to promote neuroprotection and axon regeneration, leading to the identification of molecular pathways that allow axon regrowth from a few micrometers to several millimeters; however, circuit reformation is still challenging as none of the identified pathways ubiquitously promote the adequate regeneration of all neuronal populations. One of the reasons for this is that transcriptional regulations and the role of transcription factors have been thoroughly addressed in contrast to the post-transcriptional mechanisms of regulation. In this Special Issue of Biology, we will emphasize works on post-transcriptional regulation to sustain CNS regeneration. We will highlight recent discoveries and state-of-the-art methodologies to unlock the challenge of axon regeneration and functional recovery.

Dr. Stephane Belin
Dr. Cédric Geoffroy
Guest Editors

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