Human stem cell therapy for cervical (neck) spinal cord injury
Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy after Cervical Contusion SCI in NHPs
This project will try transplanting human embryonic stem cell–derived neural stem cells into neck spinal cord injuries in monkeys to see if the grafts, a drug called 4‑AP, or genetic boosts improve movement and spinal cord repair.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11295465 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will transplant human embryonic stem cell–derived neural stem cells into the injured cervical spinal cord of nonhuman primates and track anatomical and functional recovery. They will use a tool called inhibitory DREADDs to silence graft activity and learn whether graft-driven activation of host circuits is needed for improvement. The team will test whether adding the approved drug 4‑aminopyridine (4‑AP) enhances outcomes when combined with cell grafts. They will also apply approaches that reduce PTEN/SOCS3 activity to encourage host corticospinal nerve regrowth and measure effects on movement and spinal cord anatomy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Future candidates would likely be adults with recent cervical (neck) spinal cord injuries causing motor impairment who might be eligible for cell- and regeneration-focused therapies.
Not a fit: People with unrelated neurological conditions, very old injuries where regrowth is unlikely, or medical issues that prevent cell transplantation or immune suppression would probably not benefit from these specific approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point toward new cell-based and combined drug/genetic treatments to restore movement after cervical spinal cord injuries.
How similar studies have performed: Related approaches have shown promising results in rodent models and some early nonhuman primate work, and 4‑AP is already used in humans for other neurologic conditions, but combining these strategies for human spinal cord injury remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rosenzweig, Ephron Solomon — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Rosenzweig, Ephron Solomon
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 below.