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Dissertation

Delivery of thermostabilized chondroitinase ABC enhances axonal sprouting and functional recovery after spinal cord injury

Hyunjung Lee-2009-11-10-SMARTech Repository (Georgia Institute of Technology)
1

TL;DRAbstract

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are one major class of axon growth inhibitors that are upregulated and accumulated around the lesion site after spinal cord injury (SCI), and result in regenerative failure. To overcome CSPG-mediated inhibition, digestion of CSPGs with chondroitinase ABC (chABC) has been explored and it has shown promising results. chABC digests glycosaminoglycan chains on CSPGs and can thereby enhance axonal regeneration and promote functional recovery when delivered at the site of injury. However, chABC has a crucial limitation; it is thermally unstable and loses its enzymatic activity rapidly at 37 ºC. Therefore, it necessitates the use of repeated injections or local infusions with a pump for days to weeks to provide fresh chABC to retain its enzymatic activity. Maintaining these infusion systems is invasive and clinically problematic. 
\nIn this dissertation, three studies are reported that demonstrate our strategy to overcome current limitations of us

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Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are one major class of axon growth inhibitors that are upregulated and accumulated around the lesion site after spinal cord injury (SCI), and result in regenerative failure. To overcome CSPG-mediated inhibition, digestion of CSPGs with chondroitinase ABC (chABC) has been explored and it has shown promising results. chABC digests glycosaminoglycan chains on CSPGs and can thereby enhance axonal regeneration and promote functional recovery when delivered at the site of injury. However, chABC has a crucial limitation; it is thermally unstable and loses its enzymatic activity rapidly at 37 ºC. Therefore, it necessitates the use of repeated injections or local infusions with a pump for days to weeks to provide fresh chABC to retain its enzymatic activity. Maintaining these infusion systems is invasive and clinically problematic. 
\nIn this dissertation, three studies are reported that demonstrate our strategy to overcome current limitations of us

Keywords

Spinal cord injurySpinal cordSproutingNeuroscienceMedicineBiology

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