Programmed axon degeneration (PAxD) is activated by axotomy to execute the self-destruction of a severed distal axon. It is also activated by specific non-axotomy insults, suggesting it plays roles in various neurodegenerative diseases. Andrea Loreto from the renowned Safe Sight Institute located at the University of Sydney in Australia, and Lukas review the molecular mechanism of PAxD, its involvement in disease, and its potential as a therapeutic target.
Check it out on Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
