Nature, 2015 · DOI: 10.1038/nature13974 · Published: February 19, 2015
Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in disabilities due to limited nerve regeneration. The body creates barriers, specifically glial scars, that prevent nerve regrowth. The study found that Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase σ (PTPσ) plays a critical role in preventing nerve growth by stabilizing growth cones within these inhibitory substrates. A peptide was created to bind to PTPσ and reduce its inhibitory effects. Administering this peptide led to the restoration of nerve connections and improved the recovery of locomotor and urinary functions after spinal cord injury.
Systemic modulation of PTPσ offers a new avenue for non-invasive treatments to enhance functional recovery following injuries where proteoglycans inhibit axon regeneration.
The Intracellular Sigma Peptide (ISP) can be further optimized to improve its efficacy in treating spinal cord injuries and other conditions involving CSPG-mediated inhibition.
The research highlights a key cellular mechanism regulated by PTPσ that leads to axonal dystrophy, providing insights for preventing chronic regeneration failure.