Cellular and Molecular Biology

Friday 10/2/23 h. 2:00 pm
Samuele Negro,

Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova IT
CXCR4: a new target to boost peripheral nerve regeneration

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the part of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord that relays signals between the central nervous system (CNS) and the rest of the body. It is composed mainly of: 1) neuronal cells, in particular a combination of motor, sensory and autonomic neurons; 2) Schwann cells (SCs), glial cells which ensheaths nerves in a layer of myelin and provide trophic support; 3) other non-neuronal cells such as fibroblast and satellite cells. Despite the PNS has an intrinsic ability for repair and regeneration to a certain extent, differently from the CNS, peripheral nerve injuries represent an important clinical issue with insufficient or unsatisfactory therapeutic approaches.
The process of nerve regeneration is complex, involving many factors concerning to the neuron and the cellular environment, and is still far from being understood. Our research group has contributed to shedding light on some of the mechanisms that govern PNS regeneration. In particular, we have recently discovered that the molecular axis orchestrated by the chemokine CXCL12α and its receptor CXCR4 is a novel signalling pathway that powerfully stimulates peripheral nerve regeneration.

Host: Roberta Schellino | webex link