Research
Survivors of SCI continue to defy the limits of their injuries and are ‘redefining what is possible’. But the quest for a cure for paralysis remains an important goal.
The HeadNorth Foundation supports the ongoing pursuit of a cure for paralysis by sponsoring pre-clinical research studies aimed at developing practical therapies for spinal cord injury and by encouraging the sharing of information and collaboration between local research centers. In addition, HeadNorth seeks out cutting-edge therapeutic methodologies and specialists for post-injury rehabilitation.
» The HeadNorth Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Project
The HeadNorth Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Project
Novel Approaches to Chronic Adult Spinal Cord Injury Using Stem Cells
A partnership between Burnham Institute for Medical Research and the HeadNorth Foundation
Summary
- Research project is a collaborative effort led by Evan Snyder, M.D., Ph.D., Stem Cell Program Director at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and Dr. Mark Tuszynki, University of California San Diego.
- The HeadNorth Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Project weaves together forefront advances in stem cell research and bioengineering.
- Stem cells are integral to forming every part of the human body, and they have the unique ability to literally become other cells. Stem cells can be biologically programmed to take on the characteristics of any of 220 different cell types, acting as a potent natural repair mechanism producing new muscle tissue, new red blood cells---or new neural cells within the spinal cord.
- Used in tandem with biosynthetic scaffolds---bio-engineered material furnishing a foothold for genes---stem cells have promoted the formation of host neural cells in adult rat test subjects with acute spinal cord injury. Scarring and other obstacles which inhibit regeneration of sensory and motor nerves have also been slowed. Featuring key implications for chronic spinal cord injury, the cell-scaffold combination apparently also enables acutely-injured spinal cord circuits to bypass the epicenter of the injury, forming new pathways which conduct relevant nerve signals. Biosynthetic scaffolds by themselves, without stem cells, have also shown exciting possibilities related to healing.
- By assessing the effectiveness of stem cells and biosynthetic scaffolds in regenerating damaged nerve tissue associated with chronic spinal cord injury, the HeadNorth Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Project is the gateway to translating research into treatment strategies which will transform the lives of patients.
Key Scientific Objectives of Project
- Identifying genes in adult rats which are expressed in acute spinal cord injury, versus genes expressed in chronic spinal cord injury. The neurological environment of acute spinal cord injury is completely different than the situation existing with chronic spinal cord injury. Accordingly, the HeadNorth project will begin by isolating differentially expressed genes at acute post-injury time points (1, 3, 7 and 14 days) compared to genes expressed at a chronic post-injury benchmark (14 days). Timeline: 1-4 months.
- Implanting a biosynthetic scaffold into the epicenter of a chronically-injured rat spinal cord. Timeline: 5-14 months.
- Implanting a biosynthetic scaffold seeded with human neural stem cells that have proven to be safe and effective in supporting nerve cell regeneration in rats with acute spinal cord injury. Timeline: 8 -18 months.
- Implanting a biosynthetic scaffold seeded with gene products isolated at the beginning of the project and/or human neural stem cells engineered to express regeneration genes. Timeline: 19-31 months.
- Injecting a slow-growing virus to deliver genetic information that will modify the chronic injury site in adult rats. Encouraging the injury niche to express regeneration-promoting genes may turn out to be essential to engineering a hospitable environment for stem cells and biosynthetic scaffolds. Timeline: 19-36 months.
- All test subjects will be assessed at weekly intervals for functional recovery based on the Basso-Beatty-Bresnahan scale. Electrophysiology recording of circuitry within spinal cord segments will also be incorporated into assessment, along with exhaustive tissue and molecular analysis of biological markers which indicate regenerative processes were at work. Finally, any new nerve fibers created through the spinal cord injury epicenter will be carefully studied to determine their role in causing functional recovery.
Timeframe/Cost of Project
- Timeframe for completion of research project - three years
- Funding needed to support the project total - $321,900/year
- Initial funding needed - $125,000 – to recruit top caliber post doctoral scientist to lab of Dr. Evan Snyder
Burnham Institute for Medical Research background
The Burnham Institute for Medical Research’s Stem Cell Research Center is one of the largest regenerative medicine projects in the United States, developing safe human stem cell lines, discovering the molecular characteristics of stem cells, and training medical professionals in methods of stem cell research.
Overall, Burnham Institute for Medical Research is dedicated to revealing the fundamental molecular causes of disease and devising the innovative therapies of tomorrow. Burnham is one of the fastest growing research institutes in the country with operations in California and Florida. The Institute ranks among the top four institutions nationally for NIH grant funding and among the top 25 organizations worldwide for its research impact. Burnham utilizes a unique, collaborative approach to medical research and has established major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, infectious and inflammatory and childhood diseases. The Institute is known for its world-class capabilities in stem cell research and drug discovery technologies. Burnham is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation. For more information, please visit www.burnham.org.
» Research Update
Hans Kierstead, Ph.D., University of California's Irvine Research Center discusses his promising research with embryonic stem cells for spinal cord injury and MS treatments. or visit the following URL http://KUAT.org/misenplace.cfm?ID=963
Miami Project to Cure Paralysis |
|
International Campaign for Cures of Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis |
|
Spinal Cord Society |
|
Jan 23rd, 2009: US approves 1st stem cell study for spinal injury |
» UCSD Gift
HeadNorth Foundation Presents $50,000 Check to UCSD’s Center for Neural Repair
On July 19th 2007, the HeadNorth Foundation presented a check for $50,000 to the Center for Neural Repair’s Spinal Cord Regeneration Research Program, part of the School of Medicine of UCSD.
The donation is helping to fund research into spinal cord regeneration. Led by Dr. Mark Tuszynski, the Spinal Cord Regeneration Research Program conducts pre-clinical research that aims to develop practical therapies that could lead to clinical trials for spinal cord injury.
"It is important to us to support research programs especially those like the one at UCSD who collaborate with other labs to maximize scientific outcomes" said Randal Schober, executive director of the HeadNorth Foundation. "We hope that through research we will one day be able to find a cure for paralysis."
"There has been a significant advance in the body of scientific knowledge related to spinal cord injury over the last 15 years," said Tuszynski. "We aim to focus research on the most practical and productive approaches to spinal cord regeneration, pursuing both rigorous standards of scientific research and practical models for translation of potential therapies to humans."
Photo Caption (left to right): Dr. Mark Tuszynski of the Spinal Cord Regeneration Research Program receives a check for $50,000 from Eric Northbrook, founder of HeadNorth Foundation.