Principles of post-injury remodeling of excitatory and inhibitory locomotor circuits (A05)

• Subject Area: Molecular and Cellular Neurology and Neuropathology ; Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology
• Term: from 2010 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 118803580

In this project, we want to unravel the common principles that regulate the remodeling of locomotor circuits following spinal cord injury. To do so, we will focus on the reticulospinal tract which plays an essential role in locomotion and contains both excitatory and inhibitory fibers thereby providing a unique opportunity to compare the post-injury adaptation of distinct transmitter system. We will identify (i) how the excitatory and inhibitory axonal components of the reticulospinal tract remodel following spinal cord injury (ii) molecular regulators of axonal remodelling and (iii) if and how these distinct tract components can be targeted by therapeutic intervention. Understanding the mechanisms that guide circuit remodeling will allow the design of new therapeutic strategies.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 870: Assembly and Function of Neuronal Circuits in Sensory Processing
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Project Heads: Professorin Florence Bareyre, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Martin Kerschensteiner, until 12/2013