# Epigenetic Regulation of Nerve Injury

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2020 · $404,537

## Abstract

Abstract
 Myelination of axons in the nervous system is critical for not only conduction of action
potentials, but also for providing tropic support to ensure long term survival of neurons in both
the central and peripheral nervous systems. Myelin disorders are a major cause of neurological
disease, and can be caused by genetic disorders, infectious disease, and inflammation.
Therefore, understanding the pathways that control gene expression patterns in myelinating
cells is a critical step in not only elucidating developmental pathways, but also to provide insight
into means by which remyelination after nerve injury can be accelerated. The peripheral nervous
system has substantial plasticity in being able to regenerate after nerve injury, and critical
transcription factors and their target gene networks have begun to be elucidated. Interestingly,
recent studies have demonstrated that Schwann cell reprogramming to a new differentiated
state is a critical and rate limiting factor in peripheral nerve regeneration.
 Although substantial progress has been made to identify gene expression changes that
occur after injury, there have been relatively few studies examining the chromatin modifications
required for Schwann cell reprogramming to the injured state. The long term objective of our
laboratory is to elucidate an integrated mechanism of Schwann cell reprogramming after nerve
injury based on critical microRNA and epigenomic switches that we have identified. Specifically,
this proposal focuses on testing how reversal of the polycomb pathway is required for Schwann
cell responses to peripheral nerve injury. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses will focus on
epigenetic changes that occur during nerve injury, and test for the first time the involvement of
histone demethylases in nerve injury responses. Finally, this proposal also takes advantage of
several unique aspects of peripheral nerve, which facilitate the epigenomic analysis that we
have proposed here.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9967150
- **Project number:** 5R01NS100510-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** John P Svaren
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $404,537
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9967150

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9967150, Epigenetic Regulation of Nerve Injury (5R01NS100510-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9967150. Licensed CC0.

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