Preventing bone loss after spinal cord injury with denosumab followed by zoledronic acid
Official title: Denosumab and sequential zoledronic acid to prevent bone loss and maintain bone mass after spinal cord injury
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11158585 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether giving denosumab first and then zoledronic acid can help prevent rapid bone loss in people who recently had a spinal cord injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $114,733 |
| NIH project number | 5R34AR082859-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11158585 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with a recent (acute) spinal cord injury who are at high risk for rapid bone loss and who meet safety criteria for denosumab and zoledronic acid.
✕Less likely to help
People without spinal cord injury, those with long-standing stable bone loss where changes are unlikely, or those with medical contraindications to anti-resorptive drugs would likely not benefit from joining this trial.
What this research studies
This award is funding the planning needed to run a future clinical trial that would give denosumab followed by zoledronic acid to people after an acute spinal cord injury to try to stop severe bone loss. Over the two-year planning period the team will set up clinical sites, create safety monitoring plans, get the investigational drug, develop training and data procedures, and finalize how bone density and blood markers will be measured. If the full trial is approved, you would likely have DXA and CT scans, blood tests for bone resorption markers, and regular safety checks while receiving the medications. The current grant does not yet enroll patients but aims to make a larger, multicenter treatment trial possible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could slow or prevent large losses of leg bone mass after spinal cord injury and reduce fracture risk, helping preserve mobility and access to rehabilitation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work showed bisphosphonates slowed but did not stop bone loss, while a small trial of denosumab showed promise at preventing bone loss around the knee, so this combined-sequence approach builds on limited but encouraging evidence.
Where this research is happening
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Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schnitzer, Thomas Jack — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Schnitzer, Thomas Jack
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Investigating how nerve signaling affects bone loss after spinal cord injury
This study is looking at how spinal cord injuries can lead to bone loss and is testing how certain nerve signals might affect this process, with the hope of finding new ways to help people with spinal cord injuries keep their bones healthy.
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Using denosumab and zoledronic acid to prevent bone loss after spinal cord injury
This study is looking at how two medications, denosumab and zoledronic acid, can help prevent bone loss in people who have recently experienced a spinal cord injury, with the hope of improving their recovery and overall health.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.