Decorin treatment of spinal cord injury.

Abstract

The scarring response after a penetrant central nervous system injury results from the interaction between invading leptominingeal/pericyte-derived fibroblasts and endogenous reactive astrocytes about the wound margin. Extracellular matrix and scar-derived axon growth inhibitory molecules fill the lesion site providing both a physical and chemical barrier to regenerating axons. Decorin, a small leucine-rich chondroitin-dermatan sulphate proteoglycan expressed by neurons and astrocytes in the central nervous system, is both anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory and attenuates the formation and partial dissolution of established and chronic scars. Here, we discuss the potential of using Decorin to antagonise scarring in the central nervous system.

• Authors: Maryam Esmaeili, Martin Berry, Ann Logan, Zubair Ahmed
• Journal: Neural regeneration research (Neural Regen Res) Vol. 9 Issue 18 Pg. 1653-6 (Sep 15 2014) ISSN: 1673-5374 [Print] India
• PMID: 25374584 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)