Nogo A is a protein that has been identified as an inhibitor of neurite outgrowth specific to the central nervous system. Research suggests that blocking Nogo-A during neuronal damage (from diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis) will help to protect or restore the damaged neurons (Karnezis et al, 2004).

The Nogo gene contains the isoforms Nogo A, B and C. Nogo-A has an amino group at one terminus ('amino-Nogo'), and all Nogo proteins have a carboxy group at the other terminus ('Nogo-66'). Both amino-Nogo and Nogo-66 are involved in inhibitory responses, where amino-Nogo is a strong inhibitor of neurite outgrowth, and Nogo-66 is involved in growth cone destruction (Karnezis et al, 2004).

Potential Uses

The investigation into the mechanisms of this protein presents a great potential for the treatment of auto-immune mediated demyelinating diseases and spinal cord injury regeneration.

References

Karnezis et al (2004) The neurite outgrowth inhibitor Nogo A is involved in autoimmune-mediated demyelination. Nature Neuroscience, 7, 736-744