Two faces of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan in spinal cord repair: a role in microglia/macrophage activation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) is a major component of the glial scar. It is considered to be a major obstacle for central nervous system (CNS) recovery after injury, especially in light of its well-known activity in limiting axonal growth. Therefore, its degradation has become a key therapeutic goal in the field of CNS regeneration. Yet, the abundant de novo synthesis of CSPG in response to CNS injury is puzzling. This apparent dichotomy led us to hypothesize that CSPG plays a beneficial role in the repair process, which might have been previously overlooked because of nonoptimal regulation of its levels. This hypothesis is tested in the present study.

Methods and findings

We inflicted spinal cord injury in adult mice and examined the effects of CSPG on

SUBMITTER: Rolls A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2517615 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature