Logo image
In vivo neuroprotection of injured CNS neurons by a single injection of a DNA plasmid encoding the Bcl-2 gene
Book chapter   Peer reviewed

In vivo neuroprotection of injured CNS neurons by a single injection of a DNA plasmid encoding the Bcl-2 gene

Raul A. Saavedra, Marion Murray, Sonsoles de Lacalle and Alan Tessler
Progress in Brain Research, pp 365-372
2000
PMID: 11105694

Abstract

Spinal cord injury is a devastating event for which there is no effective treatment or cure. Axons that descend to the spinal cord from neurons located in the brain and axons that ascend from the spinal cord to higher centers of the nervous system are severed or otherwise damaged. Many of these neurons are lost by retrograde death, an apoptotic process, and those that survive are not able to regenerate their axons to their normal targets. Additional cells are lost at the injury site as the lesion expands during the days and weeks following injury (bystander death). The goals of therapeutic approaches to spinal cord injury should include rescue of neurons otherwise destined to die, which could increase the population of neurons available for axon regeneration and permit the reestablishment of functional cell to cell interactions with suitable targets. Previous studies have shown that supplying trophic factors prevented loss of neurons that express the cell surface receptors for those factors. This chapter describes recent experiments designed to rescue injured neurons in animal models of central nervous system (CNS) mechanical and chemical injuries by delivering a DNA plasmid that codes for the antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) gene. The product of this gene acts downstream of trophic factors and prevents activation of the late stages of apoptosis. This method, therefore, could be an effective means to rescue different populations of neurons.

Metrics

12 Record Views
13 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Neurosciences
Logo image