Overexpressing eukaryotic elongation factor 1 alpha (eEF1A) proteins to promote corticospinal axon repair after injury.

Although protein synthesis is hypothesized to have a pivotal role in axonal repair after central nervous system (CNS) injury, the role of core components of the protein synthesis machinery has not been examined. Notably, some elongation factors possess non-canonical functions that may further impact axonal repair. Here, we examined whether overexpressing eukaryotic elongation factor 1 alpha (eEF1A) proteins enhances the collateral sprouting of corticospinal tract (CST) neurons after unilateral pyramidotomy, along with the underlying molecular mechanisms.

A Critical Role for DLK and LZK in Axonal Repair in the Mammalian Spinal Cord.

The limited ability for axonal repair after spinal cord injury underlies long-term functional impairment. Dual leucine-zipper kinase [DLK; MAP kinase kinase kinase 12; MAP3K12] is an evolutionarily conserved MAP3K implicated in neuronal injury signaling from to mammals. However, whether DLK or its close homolog leucine zipper kinase (LZK; MAP3K13) regulates axonal repair in the mammalian spinal cord remains unknown.

Back to the core: A network approach to bolster harm reduction among persons who inject drugs.

Background: Injecting drugs safely almost always includes the presence of one's social network, especially for the prevention of overdose. Yet, the systematic analysis of users' social networks has yet to be established as a focal method in harm reduction research, and interventions.

Methods: This study draws from 200 interviews with persons who inject drugs recruited from North America's first sanctioned supervised injection facility and a drug user's advocacy group.