Following spinal cord injury (SCI), corresponding tissue damage results in functional loss and neurons fail to regenerate for a variety of reasons including the formation of glial scars, inadequate removal of inhibitory myelin, cell death and lack of a permissive substrate or growth factors. Any successful strategy must address all of these issues, however due to the complexity of a comprehensive approach, most studies have focused on individual factors such as the release of growth factor(s), blocking of inhibitory cues, implantation of support cells or activation of intrinsic pathways to promote neuronal regeneration at the injury site. Recent in vivo studies have indicated the potential synergistic effect of combining several strategies into a single intervention; however, it is difficult to determine the relative importance of each component. Following injury, non-neural cells are known to influence neuronal re-growth, but neuronal guidance is influenced by a variety of cues in the microenvironment. Each cue has demonstrated an influence in promoting re-growth, however little is known about the potential synergy that multiple cues are able to present to regenerating axons due to the complexity in vivo. An in vitro model provides an ideal environment to closely examine the impact of microenvironmental cues to neurite outgrowth. In this study we will examine the impact on glial migration on the orientation and outgrowth from primary rat neurons. Understanding the interplay of resident cells in a well-defined system is crucial to the development of successful regeneration and repair strategies.

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