Understanding Nerve Repair After Spinal Cord Injury
Patch-based deep scRNA-Seq to understand axon repair in the mammalian spinal cord
This research aims to discover how nerve cells can repair themselves after a spinal cord injury, which could help people regain movement and feeling.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11134664 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Spinal cord injuries often lead to permanent paralysis because nerve fibers, called axons, struggle to regrow. Our team is using a special technique called Patch-based single cell RNA sequencing to look closely at individual nerve cells and understand the genes and processes that control their ability to regenerate. We've already developed a way to predict which nerve cells have the potential to regrow, and now we want to make this prediction even more accurate. By identifying key factors involved in nerve repair, we hope to find new ways to help people recover from these devastating injuries.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but aims to benefit adults affected by traumatic spinal cord injury.
Not a fit: Patients without spinal cord injuries or those seeking immediate clinical treatments would not directly benefit from this basic science research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that encourage nerve regeneration and improve recovery for individuals living with spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have performed: Our team has had recent success applying this advanced sequencing technology to identify molecular mechanisms of axon regeneration and develop a regeneration classifier.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zheng, Binhai — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Zheng, Binhai
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.