Recipients

Spinal cord injury can lead to the loss of sensation and motor function to the area of the body below the point of injury. To date, treatment methods to help rehabilitate individuals with spinal cord injuries include clinical therapy and other treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs for preventing secondary injury and reducing pain and swelling. Unfortunately, the incidence of recovery following a spinal cord injury is highly variable and the return of function is almost never complete. Dr. Daniel Chen and his research team are investigating alternative, more effective treatments.

Dr. Chen believes biomaterial scaffolds offer a means to improve the repair of spinal cord injuries. As crucial regulators of many key signaling pathways, the scaffolds are known to interact and/or bind with multiple other members, tethering them into complexes. By implanting the biomaterial scaffolds with helper cells into patients, they will promote axon growth across the injury site, all the while degrading gradually themselves.

While Dr. Chen’s team is testing the scaffolds first in a culture dish and then in an animal model, the resulting knowledge and technologies will significantly support efforts to repair human spinal cord injuries

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