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Summary
While in the central nervous system plasticity (in response to stimulus) and regeneration (in response to injury) are mainly based on adaptive changes in neural circuitries and synaptic reorganization, in the peripheral nervous system they are predominantly based on axonal (re)growth and neuron addition. In this paper, we will briefl y overview the main investigation lines on plasticity and regeneration in the peripheral nervous system that have been carried out at the Laboratory of Human Anatomy of the Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences at the "San Luigi Gonzaga" Medical Faculty of the University of Turin. This body of research was mainly focused on the identifi cation of the adaptive changes occurring to the sensory and autonomic neurons as a consequence of exceptional stimuli and/or damage at their periphery, as well as on the identifi cation of effective new strategies for improving posttraumatic peripheral nerve fi ber regeneration. These studies are in line with the long standing tradition on peripheral nervous system investigation carried out by the Anatomical School at the University of Turin since the times of Giuseppe Levi and we are honoured to have the occasion to present the results of our research on occasion of the appointment of Giovanni Orlandini as Emeritus Professor of the University of Florence.
Key words
Neuroplasticity, neural repair, myenteric plexus, dorsal root ganglia, peripheral nerve repair
Introduction
The study of the morphology of the nervous system at the Anatomical School of the University of Turin has a long lasting history which includes the work of some anatomical giants of the past, such as Luigi Rolando and Carlo Giacomini. The interest in the study of the peripheral nervous system, in particular, is based on the pioneering work of Giuseppe Levi, one of the fathers of modern neurobiology, who had among his distinguished discipuli some of the leading neuroscientists of the last century. One of them, Guido Filogamo focused his research interests mainly on the changes occurring in the peripheral nervous system in physiological and/or pathological conditions. Noteworthy are his studies on the occurrence of neuronal hyperplasia in the myenteric plexus, in which he postulated (about 50 years before the recent advancements on adult stem cells) the existence of an intestinal stem cell niche which justifi...