# Mechanisms of glial bridging and neurogenesis during spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish

> **NIH NIH R01** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $388,425

## Abstract

Around 18,000 Americans suffer new spinal cord injuries (SCI) each year. Primary and secondary damages
caused by SCI permanently impair sensory and motor functions, which require long-term therapeutic,
rehabilitative, and psychological interventions. Thus, developing therapies to treat or reverse SCI is a pressing
need in regenerative medicine. In contrast to mammals, teleost fish naturally regenerate functional neural
tissue and reverse paralysis after complete spinal cord (SC) transection. Following SCI, adult zebrafish initiate
a glial bridge that reconnects the severed SC, and regenerate functional neurons that contribute to SC repair.
Pro-regenerative glial bridging and efficient adult neurogenesis distinguish the zebrafish SC from the
mammalian SC and enable natural repair post-injury. Importantly, these pro-regenerative processes occur
without the detrimental outcomes of reactive gliosis or neurotoxicity elicited by the mammalian SC. However,
little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that direct glial bridging or neurogenesis in
zebrafish. In this proposal, we will 1) investigate the signaling pathways that direct glial bridging, 2) identify a
new regulator of neurogenesis, and 3) identify the progenitor cells that give rise to bridging glia or regenerating
neurons after SCI. This study will provide mechanistic understanding of glial bridging and neurogenesis during
zebrafish SC regeneration, and will guide approaches for manipulating SCI outcomes in mammals.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10469398
- **Project number:** 5R01NS113915-04
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Mayssa H. Mokalled
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $388,425
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10469398

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10469398, Mechanisms of glial bridging and neurogenesis during spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish (5R01NS113915-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10469398. Licensed CC0.

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