Understanding Nerve Regeneration

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From the Scientist, sounds of progress towards towards nerve regeneration: "Turning off a well-known chemical switch may allow severed nerves in adult mammals to regenerate, according to a report in this week's Science. By jamming the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, the authors blocked harmful signals known to limit repair of damaged axons in the central nervous system. Their finding points to a promising new target for restoring neural function following injury. ... The beauty of this observation is that some drugs that will block this pathway have already been approved for the treatment of cancer. If further animal studies prove promising, the clinical work will move forward very quickly."

Link: http://www.the-scientist.com/news/20051007/01