Therapeutic augmentation of the growth hormone axis to improve outcomes following peripheral nerve injury.

Introduction: Peripheral nerve injuries often result in debilitating motor and sensory deficits. There are currently no therapeutic agents that are clinically available to enhance the regenerative process. Following surgical repair, axons often must regenerate long distances to reach and reinnervate distal targets.

Growth Hormone Therapy Accelerates Axonal Regeneration, Promotes Motor Reinnervation, and Reduces Muscle Atrophy following Peripheral Nerve Injury.

Background: Therapies to improve outcomes following peripheral nerve injury are lacking. Prolonged denervation of muscle and Schwann cells contributes to poor outcomes. In this study, the authors assess the effects of growth hormone therapy on axonal regeneration, Schwann cell and muscle maintenance, and end-organ reinnervation in rats.