Mammalian neurons lose the ability to regenerate their central nervous system axons as they mature during embryonic or early postnatal development. Neuronal maturation requires a transformation from a situation in which neuronal components grow and assemble to one in which these components are fixed and involved in the machinery for effective information transmission and computation. To regenerate after injury, neurons need to overcome this fixed state to reactivate their growth programme. A variety of intracellular processes involved in initiating or sustaining neuronal maturation, including the regulation of gene expression, cytoskeletal restructuring and shifts in intracellular trafficking, have been shown to prevent axon regeneration. Understanding these processes will contribute to the identification of targets to promote repair after injury or disease.

哺乳动物神经元在胚胎发育或出生后早期成熟时失去了再生中枢神经系统轴突的能力。神经元成熟需要从神经元成分生长和组装的情况转变为这些成分固定并参与有效信息传输和计算的机制。为了在受伤后再生，神经元需要克服这种固定状态以重新激活它们的生长程序。参与启动或维持神经元成熟的各种细胞内过程，包括基因表达的调节、细胞骨架重组和细胞内运输的变化，已被证明可以阻止轴突再生。了解这些过程将有助于确定促进损伤或疾病后修复的目标。