- Lohitash Karumbaiah
- Sanjay Anand
Injury to the central nervous system induces production of glial scar, which prevents neuronal regeneration. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), which are associated with the glial scar, are potent inhibitors of neuronal growth. CSPGs consist of a core protein to which are attached polysaccharide chains called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Each GAG chain is composed of a tetrasaccharide linking region that connects the core protein to the disaccharide repeats. Recent studies have shown that the degree of sulfation of these disaccharide repeats directly affects the extent of neuronal inhibition. Although sulfated GAGs are being implicated in neuronal inhibition, the cellular mechanisms by which these molecules inhibit regeneration are as yet poorly understood. Our research focuses on gaining a better understanding of the mechanism of CS-GAG-mediated neuronal inhibition.