Study Overturns Decades of External Axon Growth Theory - Neuroscience News
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For decades, scientists assumed axons grow outward by pushing — a new study says an internal protein complex called Arp2/3 is actually pulling the whole process.
Paradigm ShiftMolecular Motor TheoryCell Polarity TheoryCytoskeletal Dynamics
Theory Briefing
- A protein complex called Arp2/3 acts like a molecular zipper inside neurons, driving axon formation from within rather than from external cues.
- The finding overturns a decades-old consensus, suggesting the field's standard model of how nerve fibers grow was built on a flawed assumption.
- If axon growth is internally directed, therapies targeting external signals to repair nerve damage may need to be fundamentally rethought.