2023-10-16 17:01:01
Neurons, the main cells that make up our brain and spinal cord, are among the slowest to regenerate after injury, and many neurons fail to regenerate completely. And, although much progress has been made in understanding neuronal regeneration, it is unknown why some neurons regenerate and others do not.
Using single-cell RNA sequencing, a method that determines which genes are activated in individual cells, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine (USA) have identified a new biomarker that can be used to predict whether or not neurons will regenerate after an injury.
Testing their discovery in mice, they found that the biomarker was reliable in neurons throughout the nervous system and at different stages of development. The study is published in the journal ‘Neuron‘.
“Single-cell sequencing technology is helping us look at the biology of neurons in much greater detail than has ever been possible before, and this study demonstrates that ability,” explains lead author Binhai Zheng.
The researchers focused on neurons in the corticospinal tract, a critical part of the central nervous system that helps control movement.
After injury, these neurons are among the least likely to regenerate axons, the long, thin structures that neurons use to communicate with each other. This is why brain and spinal cord injuries are so devastating..
«After an injury to the arm or leg, the nerves can regenerate and it is often possible to achieve full functional recovery; but this is not the case with the central nervous system,” says first author Hugo Kim. In those cases, he adds, “it is extremely difficult to recover from most brain and spinal cord injuries because those cells have very limited regenerative capacity.”
It is difficult to recover from most brain and spinal cord injuries because those cells have very limited regenerative capacity.
Hugo Kim
University of California San Diego School of Medicine
The team used single cell RNA sequencing to analyze gene expression in neurons from mice with spinal cord injuries. They encouraged these neurons to regenerate using established molecular techniques, but in the end, this only worked for a portion of the cells. This experimental setup allowed the researchers to compare sequencing data from regenerating and non-regenerating neurons.
Furthermore, by focusing on a relatively small number of cells (just over 300), they were able to look very closely at each individual cell.
“Just like every person is different, every cell has its own unique biology,” says Zheng. Exploring the small differences between cells can tell us a lot about how those cells work.s».
Using a computer algorithm to analyze their sequencing data, they identified a unique pattern of gene expression that can predict whether or not an individual neuron will ultimately regenerate after an injury. The pattern also included some genes that had never before been implicated in neuronal regeneration.
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