Regenerative Therapeutics Program
Inosine
Nerve cells in the mature central nervous system (CNS: brain, spinal cord, eye) cannot re-establish their connections after injury, nor can intact nerve cells grow new connections to compensate for the ones that have already been lost. As a result, victims of stroke, traumatic injury or neurodegenerative diseases suffer permanent and often devastating losses in movement, sensation, bodily functions and thinking.
Therapeutic Approach
Recent evidence shows, however, that mature nerve cells can be stimulated to grow new connections under certain circumstances. Pre-clinical studies showed that certain factors can stimulate neurons in undamaged areas of the CNS to extend new axon projections to the damaged areas of the midbrain and spinal cord. This growth has enabled functional recovery in preclinical animal models.
Development
Our collaborating scientists have identified several factors that have roles in nerve or axon regeneration. Inosine, a naturally occurring purine nucleoside, is one of our lead compounds aimed at enhancing motor function recovery after SCI or stroke. Inosine has been tested in multiple in vitro assays and in animal models, generating encouraging results. We are planning to study Inosine in human clinical trials.
For a list of websites providing information on stroke, traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injury, click here.
1 Inosine induces axonal rewiring and improves behavioral outcome after stroke Peng Chen*†‡, David E. Goldberg*‡, Bryan Kolb§, Marc Lanser, and Larry I. Benowitz*†