Regeneration of the lateral vestibulospinal tract in adult rats by transplants of embryonic brain tissue

We transected the lateral vestibulospinal tract in the spinal cord of adult rats. In one group we performed simple transection, and in other group we transplanted the lesion with embryonic tissue. In rats receiving simple transection, there was no regeneration, but in 22% of the rats receiving transplants of embryonic tissue, the axon regrew beyond the transected site, regenerated on the denervated side, terminating in the normal targets. The present findings are contrary to the widely held view that the adult mammalian central vestibular system cannot be restored following damage. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.