Research in our lab has focused on the intracellular mechanisms regulating axon growth during development and after injury with a particular emphasis onto the cytoskeleton. Over the years we have mainly dealt with two interrelated questions: 1. What are the intracellular mechanisms and physiological relevant genes for neuronal polarization, i.e. axon formation? 2. Which intracellular mechanisms prevent axon regeneration after central nervous system (CNS) injury? Our result indicate that the intracellular mechanisms mediating axon growth during development share similarities with the ones that could regulate axon regeneration so that the separate approaches complement each other. The ultimate aim is to reactivate the polarization program in injured neurons to elicit axon regeneration in the CNS.