A role for ephrin-A5 in axonal sprouting, recovery, and activity-dependent plasticity after stroke.

Stroke causes loss of neurological function. Recovery after stroke is facilitated by forced use of the affected limb and is associated with sprouting of new connections, a process that is sharply confined in the adult brain. We show that ephrin-A5 is induced in reactive astrocytes in periinfarct cortex and is an inhibitor of axonal sprouting and motor recovery in stroke.