Defining the Roadmap for Spinal Cord Regeneration Using the Spiny Mouse

Host

Christa Rhiner, PhD, Stem Cells and Regeneration Lab

Venue

Seminar Room

Abstract

Adult mammals generally fail to regenerate the central nervous system due to inhibitory scar formation and loss of developmental growth programs. Challenging this view, we showed that the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) can spontaneously regenerate the spinal cord with robust functional recovery. Our data indicate an early injury-induced switch that enables scar reversion and activation of a regenerative program. Using this exceptional non-model organism, we generated a single-cell RNA-seq atlas of injured spinal cords from Acomys, revealing cell populations and pathways that support scar avoidance and regeneration. Our ongoing work examines whether regeneration recapitulates development, involves novel gene emergence, or relies on shared instructive programs across regenerating tissues, and explores the evolutionary origins of CNS regeneration within the Deomyinae subfamily.

Bio

Monica M. Sousa earned a degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Porto. During her doctoral research, she investigated the biology of an aggregation-prone protein that triggers axon degeneration. As a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University- New York, she explored signaling pathways involved in neurodegeneration caused by amyloid fibrils. Since 2008, Monica has led the Nerve Regeneration group at i3S, focusing on the study of axon growth and regeneration. Her research identified the spiny mouse as the first known mammal capable of spontaneous spinal cord regeneration. She currently serves as the director of IBMC, one of the founding institutes of i3S. In 2024, Monica was elected EMBO member.

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About CR Colloquia Series

Champalimaud Research (CR) Colloquia Series is a seminar programme organised by the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown to promote the discussion about the most interesting and significant questions in neuroscience and physiology & cancer with appointed speakers by the CR Community.