@article {Merkler3665, author = {Doron Merkler and Gerlinde A. S. Metz and Olivier Raineteau and Volker Dietz and Martin E. Schwab and Karim Fouad}, title = {Locomotor Recovery in Spinal Cord-Injured Rats Treated with an Antibody Neutralizing the Myelin-Associated Neurite Growth Inhibitor Nogo-A}, volume = {21}, number = {10}, pages = {3665--3673}, year = {2001}, doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.21-10-03665.2001}, publisher = {Society for Neuroscience}, abstract = {The limited plastic and regenerative capabilities of axons in the adult mammalian CNS can be enhanced by the application of a monoclonal antibody (mAb), IN-1, raised against the myelin-associated neurite growth inhibitor Nogo-A. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of this treatment on the functional recovery of adult rats with a dorsal over-hemisection of the spinal cord. Directly after injury, half of the animals were implanted with mAb IN-1-secreting hybridoma cells, whereas the others received cells secreting a control antibody (anti-HRP). A broad spectrum of locomotor tests (open field locomotor) score, grid walk, misstep withdrawal response, narrow-beam crossing) was used to characterize locomotor recovery during the 5 weeks after the injury. In all behavioral tests, the recovery in the mAb IN-1-treated group was significantly augmented compared with the control antibody-treated rats. EMG recordings of flexor and extensor muscles during treadmill walking confirmed the improvement of the locomotor pattern in the mAb IN-1-treated rats; step-cycle duration, rhythmicity, and coupling of the hindlimbs were significantly improved. No differences between the two groups with regard to nociception were observed in the tail flick test 5 weeks after the operation. These results indicating improved functional recovery suggest that the increased plastic and regenerative capabilities of the CNS after Nogo-A neutralization result in a functionally meaningful rewiring of the motor systems.}, issn = {0270-6474}, URL = {https://www.jneurosci.org/content/21/10/3665}, eprint = {https://www.jneurosci.org/content/21/10/3665.full.pdf}, journal = {Journal of Neuroscience} }