Thus, consistent with a putative inhibitory role for Thy-1 in regeneration and repair, if αVβ3 integrin is up regulated by astrocytes during astrogliosis, as it has been found in neurodegenerative diseases [44], [45], under ischemia insults [46], [47], or in malignant glioma cells [48], its interaction with the abundantly expressed neuronal Thy-1 could account for αVβ3 integrin-induced axonal retraction and formation of bulbous terminals in injured tissue. The gene discussed is THY1; the disease is malignant glioma.