Ohio State gets $1.7M federal grant for spine injury research

Ohio State University has received a five-year, $1.7 million grant from the federal government for […]

Ohio State University has received a five-year, $1.7 million grant from the federal government for a study into spinal cord injuries.

Specifically, OSU researchers will study the chemical signals that drive re-growth of damaged pathways after spinal cord injury. The researchers hope to find that altering cellular behavior promotes repair of an injured spinal cord, according to a statement from the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The researchers have drawn their inspiration from the animal world. For example, salamanders can regenerate their spinal cords after injury because their cells form a bridge across the injury site.

However, when a spinal cord injury occurs in humans, the same types of cells receive different signals and a scar forms, preventing the re-growth of nerve cells, according to lead researcher Lyn Jakeman, an associate professor of physiology and cell biology.

“We want to understand the growth factors and signaling molecules that can promote the formation of cell bridges so we can develop new therapies that target existing cells in the human spinal cord,” Jakeman said.

The grant comes from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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