Role of myelin-associated inhibitors in axonal repair after spinal cord injury

Myelin-associated inhibitors of axon growth, including Nogo, MAC and OMgp, have been the subject of intense research. A myriad of experimental approaches have been applied to investigate the potential of targeting these molecules to promote axonal repair after spinal cord injury. However, there are still conflicting results on their role in axon regeneration and therefore a lack of a cohesive mechanism on how these molecules can be targeted to promote axon repair. One major reason may be the lack of a clear definition of axon regeneration in the first place. Nevertheless, recent data from genetic studies in mice indicate that the roles of these molecules in CNS axon repair may be more intricate than previously envisioned. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.