Damage to axons in the central nervous system (CNS) typically results in permanent functional deficits. If injured neurons can regenerate a sufficient number of axons, the CNS may recover and overcome such functional deficits. A research team led by Prof. LIU Kai, Assistant Professor from the Division of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has recently discovered a novel strategy to promote axonal regeneration of injured neurons, which could inspire new directions for CNS repair research, including spinal cord injuries. The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science on 16 February 2016.

In his previous proof of principle work published in 2015, Prof. LIU had found that inhibition of the PTEN gene would activate mTOR signaling pathway, which drives axons to regenerate across the lesion site and reform connections after chronic spinal cord injuries. In his latest research, Prof. LIU suggested a mechanism by which enhancing neuronal activity promotes axon regeneration. The findings may potentially lead to the development of clinically useful methods to facilitate neural repair. Read More...  

Prof. LIU Kai from the Division of Life Science