Research Projects

The proposal aims to address the differential regenerative capacity of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS), which has limited capacity for regeneration compared to peripheral neurons. This lack of regenerative capacity is a significant barrier to functional recovery after CNS injury, including spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Epigenetic constraints, such as restricted chromatin around pro-growth genes, are identified as a major factor limiting the regenerative capacity of CNS neurons. The proposed research aims to investigate the potential of Stripe transcription factors to release these constraints and promote CNS regeneration in older neurons. The Stripe family of transcription factors has been shown to increase chromatin accessibility in various biological contexts, but their role in axon regeneration regulation has not been explored. The proposed research will use a combination of genetic and epigenetic manipulations to investigate the potential of Stripe transcription factors to promote axon regeneration in older CNS neurons. The research will focus on optimizing targeted genetic/epigenetic combinatorial manipulations to enhance the intrinsic capacity of CNS neurons for regeneration. This approach has the potential to overcome epigenetic constraints and promote functional recovery after CNS injury.