Improving nerve repair after spinal cord injury with stem cell grafts
Official title: Improving Connectivity Between Host and Neural Stem Cell Grafts After SCI
Funded at VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-11334636 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A clinician-research team is testing how to make neural stem cell grafts connect better with a patient’s own nerves after spinal cord injury, aiming to improve recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA San Diego Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1IK1RD000676-01A2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11334636 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with spinal cord injuries who may be considered for graft-based therapies in future trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with injuries outside the scope of graft-based repair or with serious comorbidities may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on a stem cell graft approach that has shown promise in animals and nonhuman primates. Researchers will study how guided signals attract host nerves into the graft and how to adjust those signals to boost connectivity across the injury site. The work combines basic science with a pathway toward clinical use at the VA to help Veterans with SCI. The team will use established models to test whether tuning axonal guidance cues increases host-graft integration and functional outcomes. Results could inform future therapies that enhance recovery after spinal cord injuries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more effective graft-based treatments that restore nerve connections and improve movement and sensation after SCI.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in animals and primates showed partial but promising restoration of connectivity with stem cell grafts, supporting continued translational work.
Where this research is happening
-
VA San Diego Healthcare System
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Levy-Myers, Reuben Elliot — VA San Diego Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Levy-Myers, Reuben Elliot
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.