Protecting spinal cord recovery after infections
Protecting Endogenous Recovery from the "Infectious Insult" in Spinal Cord Injury
This project looks at how pneumonia after a spinal cord injury can harm healing and seeks ways to protect recovery for people with spinal cord injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195635 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use mouse models that mimic human spinal cord injury followed by pneumonia to determine whether lung infections directly worsen spinal cord damage. They will connect circulations between animals and give serum injections to identify blood-borne factors, trace fluorescent bacterial fragments to see if microbial material reaches the lesion, and use 3-D imaging to map tiny blood vessel damage and iron buildup around the injury. By pinpointing the signals and vascular breakdown triggered by infection, the work aims to reveal targets that could be protected or treated to improve neurological recovery.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with recent spinal cord injury—especially those who develop pneumonia in the weeks after their injury—would be the most relevant candidates for future studies stemming from this work.
Not a fit: Patients without a recent infection or those with long-standing chronic spinal cord injuries are less likely to benefit from interventions aimed at blocking acute infection-related damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that prevent infections from worsening spinal cord damage and improve recovery after injury.
How similar studies have performed: Clinical observations and some animal studies have linked post-SCI infections to worse outcomes, but the specific blood-borne and vascular mechanisms remain largely untested, making this approach relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, UNITED STATES
- Ohio State University — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Filous, Angela R — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Filous, Angela R
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.