成年哺乳动物不能修复受损的脊髓。而蝾螈可在细胞及功能水平上完全再生损伤脊髓，为研究脊髓再生机制的理想模式生物。移除尾部脊髓可抑制蝾螈的断尾（包括脊髓）再生，表明脊髓包含启动再生的重要细胞类型及因子。我们尚未发表的初步研究表明神经元可能为启动再生的关键。我们将利用神经干细胞及神经元的特异表达启动子建立一系列转基因蝾螈，进一步 (1) 通过荧光实时成像观察脊髓再生中神经干细胞与神经元的互作；(2) 结合脊髓移植技术，通过激活自杀基因Nitroreductase，进而研究其再生。试图揭示脊髓再生中神经干细胞的增殖与迁移是否依赖于神经元轴突的生长等关键问题。研究将为改善哺乳动物损伤脊髓修复提供依据。

While spinal cord injury is permanent and irreversible in mammals, axolotl can fully regenerate the injured spinal cord on both cellular and functional level. This uniquely positions the axolotl as the ideal model for dissecting the mechanism behind spinal cord regeneration. Removal of a piece of tail spinal cord inhibits axolotl tail (including spinal cord) regeneration, indicating spinal cord harbors key cell types and factors initiating regeneration. Our unpublished preliminary results identified that the depletion of neurons results in a failure to induce spinal cord and tail regeneration. These results suggest that there is a dependency on neurons and neuronal factors in initiating tail and spinal cord regeneration. ..To further understand the cellular and molecular dependency on neurons in regeneration, we will start by establishing transgenic axolotls. Taking advantage of characterized tissue-specific promoters and recently established knock-in approaches, we will label and manipulate NSCs and neurons, separately. Furthermore, we will, (1) observe the interaction between NSCs and neurons during spinal cord regeneration using fluorescence live-imaging; (2) study spinal cord regeneration by removing the pools of NSCs or differentiated neurons, in a defined region of transplanted spinal cord using Nitroreductase. This allows us to dissect whether NSC proliferation and migration show a neuronal dependency during regeneration. Our study will thus provide a theoretical and practical basis for improving the limited capacity of mammalian spinal cord regeneration.