Affiliations: Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular
Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary,
University of London, 4 Newark Street, Whitechapel, London E1 2AT, UK
Note: [] Corresponding author: Yi Zhang, Neuroscience Centre, Institute
of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and
Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, 4 Newark Street, Whitechapel,
London E1 2AT, UK. Tel.: +44 20 78822285; Fax: +44 20 78822180; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) play important roles in cell-cell and
cell-extracellular matrix interactions in both mature and developing nervous
system. During development, they are involved in cell migration, axon guidance,
target recognition, and synapse formation; while in the mature nervous system,
they maintain synaptic connections, cell-cell contacts, and neuron-glial
interactions. Injuries to the nervous systems break the stable state of the
tissues and the repair of damaged tissues and regeneration of axons require the
participation of CAMs both as adhesion molecules and as signal transduction
molecules. One group of the well-studied CAMs in the nervous system is the
immunoglobulin superfamily including L1 and neural cell adhesion molecule
(NCAM). This review will be focussed on the involvement of L1, NCAM, and
polysialylated NCAM in neural repair and axon regeneration after nerve injury
and their potential applications in the treatment of CNS injury.
