Blocking ADAM17 to help nerves regrow after spinal cord injury
Official title: Characterization and Inhibition of the Interactions of the Alpha-Secretase ADAM17 with the Neuronal-Myelin Signaling Complex Upon Spinal Cord Injury
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11374039 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing if blocking a protein called ADAM17 can help nerves regrow after a spinal cord injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $484,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R21NS144867-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11374039 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with spinal cord injuries who are hoping for therapies to promote nerve regrowth would be the likely eventual beneficiaries of findings from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without nerve damage or those with long-standing, complete spinal cord injuries where nerve pathways are irreversibly lost may be unlikely to benefit in the near term.
What this research studies
This project looks at how ADAM17 interacts with a nerve-myelin signaling complex that prevents axons from regrowing after spinal cord injury. Researchers will use lab-made monoclonal antibodies to block ADAM17 and stop it from cutting a receptor called p75, then test the effect in nerve cell models and cultured cell lines. They will measure whether blocking ADAM17 restores neurite (axon) outgrowth and reverses the inhibitory signals coming from myelin. The goal is to define molecular steps that could guide development of treatments to promote nerve repair in the injured spinal cord.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new therapies that help damaged spinal cord nerves regrow and improve function.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory work by the team showed that blocking ADAM17 with antibodies restored neurite growth in nerve cell lines, but this approach has not yet been proven in animals or people.
Where this research is happening
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Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nikolov, Dimitar B — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Nikolov, Dimitar B
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.