NIH-funded research R01 grant

Protecting recovery after spinal cord injury from infection

Official title: Protecting Endogenous Recovery from the "Infectious Insult" in Spinal Cord Injury

Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11391394 · Data updated 2026-11-12

In people who have a spinal cord injury, getting a pneumonia-like infection may hinder recovery, and this grant studies how to prevent that harm.

More Spinal Cord Injury research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionOhio State University
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES)
Project startSeptember 20, 2024
Project endAugust 31, 2029
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$550,011
NIH project number5R01NS135237-03
Project IDNIH-11391394 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates are individuals with spinal cord injury who are at risk for or have developed infections, particularly pneumonia, and who could benefit from therapies that protect nervous system recovery.

Less likely to help

Patients without spinal cord injury or without infection-related risk to recovery are unlikely to benefit from this research.

What this research studies

This research uses a mouse model of spinal cord injury to see if pneumonia worsens recovery and to identify the factors in the blood and infected areas that drive that damage. It combines brain/spinal cord analysis with models of infection and blood-borne factors to understand how pneumonia could directly affect the injured spinal cord. The goal is to find targets for neuroprotective strategies that could be translated to patients who have SCI and develop infections.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new ways to protect spinal cord recovery after infection, potentially improving neurological outcomes for SCI patients.

How similar studies have gone: Animal studies have shown that infections can influence spinal cord recovery, but this project aims to clarify mechanisms and translate findings toward human therapies.

Where this research is happening

  • Ohio State University
    Columbus, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Filous, Angela R — Ohio State University
  • Study coordinator: Filous, Angela R

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.