This protocol demonstrates a novel method for applying gene therapies to subpopulations of cells in neonatal rats at postnatal ages 5-10 days by injecting an anterograde chemogenetic modifier into the somatomotor cortex and a retrogradely transportable Cre recombinase into the cervical spinal cord.
Smit, R. D., Campion III, T. J., Stingel, R. L., Shah, P. H., Chen, J., Smith, G. M. Targeting the Corticospinal Tract in Neonatal Rats with a Double-Viral Vector using Combined Brain and Spine Surgery. J. Vis. Exp. (172), e62698, doi:10.3791/62698 (2021).