Abstract: Wallerian degeneration refers to the well-orchestrated morphologic and biochemical changes that occur in axons, Schwann cells, and macrophages distal to a site of nerve injury, resulting in the establishment of a microenvironment supportive of axonal regeneration. Although postaxotomy axon degeneration was long thought to be atrophic, recent analyses of the phenotype of the Wallerian degeneration slow (Wlds) mouse mutant have demonstrated that axonal degeneration is actively induced by an axon death program distinct from apoptosis. Dying back axonal degeneration in some peripheral neuropathies and central nervous system diseases apparently results from the activation of this same axon death program.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 5
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