Manipulating extrinsic and intrinsic obstacles to axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic event that can lead to permanent motor and sensory deficits. After the initial trauma, axons of surviving neurons rapidly retract. While there may be a small degree of abortive sprouting, virtually all attempts at robust regrowth across the lesion site ultimately fail. Thus, neurons below the level of the injury are permanently disconnected from their normal input, resulting in persistent loss of function.