Diaphragm nerve signals as a new path to better breathing after spinal cord injury
Official title: Mechanisms and therapeutic potential of phrenic proprioceptors after spinal cord injury
Funded at Marquette University · NIH-11395306 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A researcher at Marquette University is testing whether activating the nerve signals from the diaphragm can improve breathing after a cervical spinal cord injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Marquette University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | August 20, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $547,377 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL179209-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395306 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with cervical spinal cord injury experiencing impaired breathing who may benefit from diaphragm-based therapies in the future.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cervical spinal cord injury or without respiratory impairment related to SCI may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how the nerves that sense the diaphragm can be targeted to help people with breathing problems after spinal cord injury. It uses animal models to understand how diaphragm pacing changes nerve activity and breathing patterns. The goal is to see if stimulating phrenic afferents can promote lasting improvements in breathing when traditional ventilation is difficult to wean. If successful, these findings could guide future therapies to restore independent breathing in affected patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could lead to new therapies that improve or restore breathing in people with cervical spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests diaphragm pacing can aid breathing, with early evidence of lasting benefits in animal models; this study extends that to the role of diaphragm sensory nerves.
Where this research is happening
-
Marquette University
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Streeter, Kristi Ann — Marquette University
- Study coordinator: Streeter, Kristi Ann
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Corticospinal neurons and recovery of precise forelimb movement after spinal cord injury
This project studies how spine injuries change brain circuits and whether targeted rehabilitation helps restore precise forelimb movement.
-
How baclofen and spinal cord stimulation interact in people with spinal cord injury
This study looks at how a common antispasmodic medicine (baclofen) works together with spinal cord stimulation in people who have spinal cord injuries and live with spasticity.
-
Targeting spinal cord inflammation with a new HuR inhibitor to help SCI patients
A new treatment approach uses a small molecule to block a brain-spinal inflammation regulator (HuR) that drives harmful inflammation after spinal cord injury, aiming to lessen damage and pain for people with SCI.
-
From Neural Control of Movement to Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
A patient-focused project aims to translate how brain signals control movement after spinal cord injury into new treatments that improve muscle function and reduce spasticity.
-
Polaris: a compact system to help motor recovery after spinal cord injury and stroke
A new, easy-to-use device called Polaris may help people with spinal cord injury, stroke, or other chronic conditions regain movement by guiding a specialized reflex-based therapy.
-
Predicting and Preventing Chronic Aspiration After Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
This project looks at swallowing problems and chronic aspiration in adults with traumatic neck spine injuries to find patterns that could prevent serious lung complications.
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.