Restoration of the retinofugal pathway.

In a relatively short period of time covering the last 2 decades, regeneration of retinofugal axons has become one of most prominent experimental models in restorative neurobiology. There is now a significant knowledge both on the mechanisms governing retinal ganglion cell responses to transection of the optic nerve, and the subsequent cell-cell interactions accumulating in death of the neurons. In addition, retinofugal axons served as an excellent model to examine whether, and to conclude that these axons have remarkable abilities for re-growth. This last issue was of invaluable importance, because axons could regenerate in vivo, into peripheral nerve grafts, and last but not least within the white matter of the cut optic nerve. As it stands to date, the extremely complex aspects of axonal regeneration will probably be understood within the retinofugal pathway. Final elucidation of this delicate system will essentially lead to some revision of our knowledge concerning neurotraumatology and CNS-repair.