
Scientists regenerate neurons in mice with spinal cord injury optic nerve damage - LinuxBender
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200430113041.htm
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vikramkr
Link to the paper (paywalled):
[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525001620...](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S152500162030191X)

They regenerated neurons through upregulating a molecule known as lin28, an
RNA binding protein with a lot of important roles in cell differentiation etc.
In the paper, they detail that they did it through the delivery of the gene
for lin28 via an adeno associated virus type 2 (AAV2) viral vector, which is
basically a modified virus that, when it infects your target cell, instead of
replicating and making more viruses, instead just delivers and starts
expressing the gene you want. This is the basis of gene therapy, and the first
FDA approved gene therapy in the US is also an AAV2 vectored gene therapy[0].
So, could mean that, if this finding holds true, gene therapy with an already
established technology could be a way to regenerate neurons and accelerate
healing of spinal damage which is an exciting finding.

[0][https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voretigene_neparvovec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voretigene_neparvovec)

