Neural stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury
RR&D Gordon Mansfield Spinal Cord Injury Consortium
Testing whether transplanting human neural stem cells, alone or with rehabilitation and spinal cord stimulation, can help people with spinal cord injuries regain function.
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 ID | NIH-10763713 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This program is developing a therapy using human neural stem cells derived from an approved embryonic stem cell line to repair injured spinal cords and help restore movement and sensation. Researchers are moving the work toward first-in-human testing by completing pre-IND and IND-enabling studies while mainly using animal models that mimic human contusion injuries. The team is also testing combinations of cell transplants with new rehabilitation approaches and spinal epidural stimulation to improve recovery, with special attention to chronic spinal cord injury. The effort is a large consortium involving multiple leading U.S. academic and VA centers and international collaborators.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with spinal cord injuries—particularly those with contusion-type or chronic injuries—would be the likely candidates for future clinical trials from this program.
Not a fit: Patients with non-contusion injuries like complete transection, unstable medical issues, or those seeking immediate treatments should not expect direct benefit from this preclinical program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a transplant therapy that improves motor and sensory function for people with spinal cord injuries.
How similar studies have performed: Early-phase cell-transplant trials for spinal cord injury have shown safety and some encouraging signals, but combining human neural stem cells with rehabilitation and epidural stimulation remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
San Diego, United States
- VA San Diego Healthcare System — San Diego, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tuszynski, Mark H. — VA San Diego Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Tuszynski, Mark H.
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.