Leading an active lifestyle may increase the likelihood of damaged nerves regenerating after a spinal cord injury, new research has found.
Early-stage findings, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, come from studies in mice and rats with spinal cord injuries, in which scientists uncovered a mechanism for nerve fibers repairing after they had been damaged.
An international team, led by researchers from Imperial College London, found that providing rodents with more space, an exercise wheel, toys and company before an injury helped to ‘prime’ their cells, making it more likely their damaged nerves would regenerate following spinal injury.
Here is the full report: Thomas Hutson et al. ‘Cbp-dependent histone acetylation mediates axon regeneration induced by environmental enrichment in rodent spinal cord injury models. Science Translational Medicine, 2019 DOI: 10.1126/