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Comment
. 2006;5(3):6.
doi: 10.1186/jbiol40. Epub 2006 May 9.

Building bridges with astrocytes for spinal cord repair

Robert H Miller  1
Affiliations
Comment

Building bridges with astrocytes for spinal cord repair

Robert H Miller. J Biol. 2006.

Abstract

Simultaneous suppression of glial scarring and a general enhancement of axonal outgrowth has now been accomplished in an adult rat model of spinal cord transection. Transplantation of a novel astrocyte cell type derived from glial-restricted precursors in vitro raise the eventual possibility of cellular therapy for spinal cord injury.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
A model for the sequential generation of distinct cell types in the vertebrate CNS. Neural stem cells (NSCs) from the rat embryonic brain give rise to progenitors that are restricted to neuronal or glial fates. In vitro treatment of glial-derived precursors (GRPs) with members of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family of secreted signaling molecules drives their differentiation into a distinct subtype of astrocyte (type 1 astrocyte, AstI) that promotes repair when transplanted to the injured adult spinal cord. In contrast, treatment of GRPs with the secreted protein Sonic hedgehog (Shh), a member of a different family of signaling molecules, causes their differentiation into type II astrocytes (AstII) and oligodendrocytes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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