in this review the role of cerebrospinal fluid (csf) in mammalian cerebral cortex development has been highlighted. many studies have focused on the potential role of the csf in the developmental process. in particular, the cerebral cortex develops from the germinal epithelium adjacent to the csf. csf contains proteins, growth factors and other neurotrophic factors which are important for neura...

The sprouting, stabilization and growth of neurites is a dynamic process by which developing neurons establish connections with the other elements of the nervous system; this process is under the control of extracellular cues, among which neurotrophic factors play a crucial role. Due to the complexity of the spatiotemporal evolution of the neurite network, particularly in the early stages of gr...

The brain is constantly adapting to a changing environment. It detects environmental stimuli, integrates that information with internal states, and engages appropriate behavioral and physiological responses. This process of stability through change is termed "allostasis", and serves as a mechanism by which an organism can adapt to a changing environment to function optimally, and ultimately ens...

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using autologous vein graft and platelet-derived growth factors to bridge transected cavernous nerve in a rat model. A short defect in the bilateral cavernous nerve was created and repaired with vein graft from the right jugular vein or vein graft plus platelet-derived growth factors. The 32 rats were divided into four groups, namely Group 1 - n...

NGF's role in neuronal survival has tended to mask other potential functions. But now the generation of mice lacking both Bax - required for the death of NGF-deprived neurons - and NGF or its receptor has shown that NGF plays a key role in establishing cutaneous innervation and regulating neuropeptide expression.

The largest and best characterised family of neurotrophic growth factors is that of nerve growth factor (NGF) and its relatives. In order to understand the relation of structure and function, we have undertaken X-ray analyses of murine NGF. The active component beta-NGF crystallises as hexagonal bipyramids that give good X-ray diffraction data using a synchrotron to 2.3A resolution. We have pre...