TY - JOUR
T1 - A 'GAG' reflex prevents repair of the damaged CNS
AU - Sherman, Larry S.
AU - Back, Stephen A.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Ning Ling Luo for technical assistance and Steve Matsumoto for helpful comments. This work was supported by NIH grants NS056234 (L.S.S.) and NS054044 (S.A.B.), and grants from the Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NF060059; L.S.S.), the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (PP1236, RG3512A2; L.S.S.), the American Heart Association (Bugher Award; S.A.B.) and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (S.A.B.).
PY - 2008/1
Y1 - 2008/1
N2 - The extracellular matrix of the central nervous system (CNS) serves as both a supporting structure for cells and a rich source of signaling molecules that can influence cell proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation. A large proportion of this matrix is composed of proteoglycans-proteins with long chains of polysaccharides, called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), covalently attached. Although many of the activities of proteoglycans depend on their core proteins, GAGs themselves can influence cell signaling. Here we review accumulating evidence that two GAGs, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronan, play essential roles during nervous system development but also accumulate in chronic CNS lesions and inhibit axonal regeneration and remyelination, making them significant hindrances to CNS repair. We propose that the balance between the synthesis and degradation of these molecules dictates, in part, how regeneration and recovery from CNS damage occurs.
AB - The extracellular matrix of the central nervous system (CNS) serves as both a supporting structure for cells and a rich source of signaling molecules that can influence cell proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation. A large proportion of this matrix is composed of proteoglycans-proteins with long chains of polysaccharides, called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), covalently attached. Although many of the activities of proteoglycans depend on their core proteins, GAGs themselves can influence cell signaling. Here we review accumulating evidence that two GAGs, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronan, play essential roles during nervous system development but also accumulate in chronic CNS lesions and inhibit axonal regeneration and remyelination, making them significant hindrances to CNS repair. We propose that the balance between the synthesis and degradation of these molecules dictates, in part, how regeneration and recovery from CNS damage occurs.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.tins.2007.11.001
DO - 10.1016/j.tins.2007.11.001
M3 - Review article
C2 - 18063497
AN - SCOPUS:38049028557
SN - 0166-2236
VL - 31
SP - 44
EP - 52
JO - Trends in Neurosciences
JF - Trends in Neurosciences
IS - 1
ER -