Receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) activates divergent signaling pathways to augment neurite outgrowth of adult sensory neurons.

•RAGE ligands significantly elevated neurite outgrowth in adult sensory neurons.•RAGE ligands signal through NF-κB, ERK and Stat3 pathway.•Function blocking antibody to RAGE inhibits neurite outgrowth driven by RAGE ligands.•RAGE ligands induced a rapid elevation of NF-κB p65 subunit gene expression.•RAGE ligands increase staining for NF-κB p50 subunit in the nucleus.•Lentivirus carrying shRNA to RAGE or to NF-κB p50 blocks neurite outgrowth.