The adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is commonly perceived as a rigid network resistant to change. This is in part true, as demonstrated by the detrimental and often permanent effects of CNS injury that result from its lack of regenerative ability. However, accumulating evidence suggests that genetic and biopharmacological manipulations can induce regeneration of severed axons. Additionally, extensive axonal sprouting occurs spontaneously in a number of mammalian species, including primates, following spinal cord injury (SCI).
