ECM Biosciences is collaborating with Dr. George Smith in the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center at the University of Kentucky to develop novel tools for research related to central nervous system injuries.
Development of Antibody-based Technologies for Axon Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury*
More than a quarter million Americans have spinal cord injuries and 55% of these individuals are aged 16 to 30. Few therapeutics exist that improve recovery from spinal cord injury. However, various promising therapeutic strategies are currently in development. One strategy for axon regeneration involves control of inhibitory molecules expressed after injury. Semaphorin-3A (Sema-3A) is an inhibitory molecule that has been implicated in the suppression of axon regeneration. In the injured spinal cord, this inhibitory factor is up-regulated in fibroblasts at the lesion site, and the Sema-3a receptors, Neuropilin-1, and Plexin-A1, are expressed in multiple axon tracts. Sema-3A interaction with its receptors at the site of injury may be a critical limiting factor during axon regeneration. This study will utilize antibody-based technologies in an attempt to regulate this interaction in a manner that promotes axon regeneration. We plan to generate a panel of function-altering monoclonal antibodies to Sema-3A, Neuropilin-1, and Plexin-A1. These antibodies will be targeted to specific sequences in these molecules that are involved in receptor dimerization and receptor-ligand interactions. We will use ELISA and a high throughput functional assay to select antibodies with potential function-altering effects. In addition, we will test these antibodies in other useful assays, such as western blot, immunocytochemistry, and immunohistochemistry. In the future, this panel of antibodies will be manufactured and sold for research use, and prospective therapeutics will be evaluated for further development.
*This research work was supported in part by an award from the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation as per award agreement #KSEF-148-502-04-104 with the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation.
