CBP/p300 activation promotes axon growth, sprouting, and synaptic plasticity in chronic experimental spinal cord injury with severe disability

PLoS Biol. 2022 Sep 20;20(9):e3001310. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001310. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Abstract

The interruption of spinal circuitry following spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts neural activity and is followed by a failure to mount an effective regenerative response resulting in permanent neurological disability. Functional recovery requires the enhancement of axonal and synaptic plasticity of spared as well as injured fibres, which need to sprout and/or regenerate to form new connections. Here, we have investigated whether the epigenetic stimulation of the regenerative gene expression program can overcome the current inability to promote neurological recovery in chronic SCI with severe disability. We delivered the CBP/p300 activator CSP-TTK21 or vehicle CSP weekly between week 12 and 22 following a transection model of SCI in mice housed in an enriched environment. Data analysis showed that CSP-TTK21 enhanced classical regenerative signalling in dorsal root ganglia sensory but not cortical motor neurons, stimulated motor and sensory axon growth, sprouting, and synaptic plasticity, but failed to promote neurological sensorimotor recovery. This work provides direct evidence that clinically suitable pharmacological CBP/p300 activation can promote the expression of regeneration-associated genes and axonal growth in a chronic SCI with severe neurological disability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Axons / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Nerve Regeneration* / physiology
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology
  • Recovery of Function / physiology
  • Spinal Cord Injuries* / metabolism

Grants and funding

ISRT translational award-P90397 to SDG Marina Romoli Onlus-P82836 to SDG Rosetrees Trust-P72986 to SDG Brain Research Trust-P73576 to SDG and J C Bose fellowship to TKK. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.