Jaime Alvarez and the case against slow axoplasmic transport: some epistemological reflections
Serani-Merlo, A.
Biological Research 34(2): 111-115
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0716-9760 PMID: 11715202 Document Number: 534188
The 'slow axoplasmic transport theory' has been the prevailing view over the last forty years in order to explain the metabolic maintenance of neuronal axons and nerve endings. A significant amount of evidence against this theoretic interpretation of the existing experimental data has been presented by J. Alvarez, A. Giuditta and E. Koenig in an exhaustive review. They propose an alternative theoretical interpretation called the 'local synthesis model', integrating recent evidence for axon biology and regeneration. We present some epistemological considerations that reinforce the above criticisms and propositions.