EXPERIMENTAL GENE THERAPY TO PROMOTE REGENERATION IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM BASED OB THE OVEREXPRESSION OF MIR-146a.

Neuron axon degeneration is an early event that occurs in many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer`s diseases, glaucoma, spinal cord injury, among others. In all these conditions, axonal degeneration precedes neuronal death, both of which severely impair the neuronal network and lead to neurological deficits, which are often permanent. This is because the neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) of adult mammals are unable to overcome the challenges, intrinsic and extrinsic ones, that arise after injury or damage caused by neurodegenerative diseases. For axonal regeneration to occur, the external environment of the cells must be modified and, mainly, the genes of these neurons must be modulated. Thus, finding molecules that, once modulated, can make the correct genetic adjustment to allow regeneration in neurons that are undergoing neurodegenerative processes is important. One type of molecule with this ability is microRNAs. An interesting microRNA is miRNA-146a, which has been extensively studied in the field of immunology, inflammation and cancer, and some studies suggest that it is abundant in axons and has a regulatory function related to metabolism and cell growth.