Figure 7

EGFR blockade promotes morphological and functional recovery. (A2) Combining GFAP staining (red) with BDA tracing (green), fluorescent staining of spinal cord reveals glial scar and cavity formation, as well as limited axonal regeneration after SCI; (A3 and A4) amelioration observed after C225 and AG1478 treatment. Bar = 1 mm. (B) Temporal changes in behavioral outcomes, as evaluated by BBB (B1) and CBS (B2) scoring, indicate that C225 and AG1478 improved functional recovery beginning on day 7 after SCI. n = 7. *P < 0.05 versus SCI. BBB, Basso Beattie and Bresnahan; BDA, biotinylated dextran amine; CBS, combined behavior score; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein; SCI, spinal cord injury.