How brain cells called astrocytes change after spinal cord injuries and affect healing
Official title: Astrocyte dynamics in spinal cord injury and their impact on regeneration
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-10901468 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain brain cells called astrocytes help or hinder healing after spinal cord injuries, with the hope of finding new ways to improve recovery for people who have these injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $76,828 |
| NIH project number | 1F32HD115421-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10901468 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have experienced spinal cord injuries and are seeking innovative therapeutic options.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with spinal cord injuries that are too old or have other complicating health conditions may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of astrocytes, a type of brain cell, in the healing process following spinal cord injuries. It aims to understand how these cells change their behavior after an injury and how these changes impact the body's ability to regenerate nerve tissue. By examining the interactions between astrocytes and neurons, the research seeks to uncover the mechanisms that either promote or hinder recovery. This could lead to new insights into improving healing and recovery for patients with spinal cord injuries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments that enhance recovery from spinal cord injuries, potentially restoring function and quality of life for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in understanding astrocyte behavior in other contexts, but this specific approach to spinal cord injury is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hulegaard, Alexandria Lassetter — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Hulegaard, Alexandria Lassetter
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.