Glial scar hand, absence of the glial scar has been associated with impairments in the repair of the blood brain barrier. The glial scar is composed of several components briefly discussed below. Reactive astrocytes are the main cellular component of the glial scar. After injury, astrocytes undergo morphological changes, extend their processes, and increase synthesis of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). GFAP is an important intermediate filament protein that allows the astrocytes to begin synthesizing more cytoskeletal supportive structures and extend pseudopodia. Ultimately, the astrocytes form a dense web of their plasma membrane extensions that fills the empty space generated by the
Glial scar animal). Further, a reduction in astrocytes and microglia, as well as a reduction in inflammation and angiogenesis, were observed. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is thought to be a molecular mediator of glial scar formation. It has been shown to promote differentiation of neural stem cells into astrocytes. A monoclonal antibody, MR16-1, has been used to target and block the IL-6 receptors in rat spinal cord injury models. In a study by Okada "et al.", mice were intraperitoneally injected with a single dose of MR16-1 immediately after generating a spinal cord injury. Blockade of IL-6 receptors decreased the number of astrocytes present at