Magnetic nanotechnology to study and promote axon growth

Abstract

After injury of the central and peripheral nervous systems, functional recovery is impaired by axon regeneration failure. Various approaches for promoting axon growth have been attempted but their low efficacy has prevented them from being clinically applicable. It is possible that in spite of all the research that has been performed regarding axon growth, we are still missing key aspects of axon growth biology that are essential in order to design effective treatments for axon regeneration. Most of what we know about how an axon grows has been discovered by using tools that delete, add, block, or activate macromolecules in the whole cell and by looking at its corresponding effect on axon growth. Less is known about the spatiotemporal actions of macromolecules and organelles at the growth cone and its relation with axon growth. Macromolecules and organelles are heterogeneously distributed in the cell and their resulting function depends heavily on when and where they exert their actions. We need tools that allow us to manipulate these macromolecules and organelles in a temporal window during which axon growth events are taking place. The development of such tools will provide enhanced knowledge of how an axon grows and lead to design more effective therapies to promote axon growth.