Top Spinal Cord Injury Research Breakthroughs in 2024 (Cliff Notes Version)

In 2024, there is more spinal cord injury research happening than ever before. Not only does this give people with spinal cord injuries hope that a treatment will be soon be a reality, it’s exciting to see so many scientists believing in the possibility of a treatment for paralysis. Twenty years ago, it was a stark difference; with minimal scientists and research programs focusing on spinal cord injury research, and back then stem cells (and Schwann cells) were the main focus of SCI research.

Now however stem cell research is just a piece of the pie and there are several new areas of research. We explore them below – with brief explanations – to help explain the latest in spinal cord injury research for 2024.

Immunotherapy

Instead of developing a treatment to repair injured spinal cord tissue, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine have created an immunotherapy treatment that lessens the damage to the spinal cord during an injury by protecting neurons within the injury site. It does this by preventing the neurons from being attacked by immune cells, hence the name “immunotherapy.” Although this study has only been conducted in mice, it has given many researchers hope that this unique research method could one day be utilized to help humans with spinal cord injuries. Learn more

Respiratory Plasticity

Michael Lane, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy at Drexel, has conducted extensive research into the potential for “spontaneous improvement function in people with spinal cord injuries,” also known as plasticity, and has worked for several years to develop treatments to improve a respiratory plasticity in people with paralysis. Dr. Lane conducts this research in people with spinal cord injuries in various ways, including looking at how respiratory function can be improved. They’ve developed treatment strategies, including cell transplantation to repair damaged areas, as well as utilizing activity based therapy to encourage plasticity. Learn more

Electrical Stimulation Implant

At the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences, researchers have created a new cutting-edge 3d-printed implant for people with spinal cord injuries that has the ability to send out electrical signals in an effort to create new nerve growth/repair in the damaged spinal cord. “Bridging the lesion with an electroconductive biomaterial designed to mimic the structure of the spinal cord, combined with the application of electrical stimulation, may help injured neurons regrow their axons and reconnect to restore function,” he said, adding that, “No such platform exists to date.” Learn more

Infrared Light Therapy

Researchers at Wayne State university have created an intervention utilizing non-invasive infrared light therapy to treat new spinal cord injuries. The wavelengths utilized in this specific infrared light therapy are unique in that they have the ability to trigger the nerve cells to stay alive instead of accidentally killing themselves due to the mitochondria coming hyperactive, which essentially cause the death of the nerve cell. This therapy however can only be used on people in the first 24 hours of their spinal cord injury to be effective. They hope to start human trials within 5 years. Learn more

White Matter Stimulation

The spinal cord contains both gray and white matter, with the gray matter the main focus of most spinal cord injury related research, as most scientists and researchers have believe the gray matter is the only area worth researching, but scientists at Vanderbilt University are changing the script by recently discovering blood oxygenated-level dependent signals in the white manner of the spinal cord, which is a first for the research community. This may not seem like a big deal, but for scientists, this gives them a whole new area to research and look into, giving those with paralysis hope that an electromagnetic stimuli or drug will one day be developed to treat spinal cord injury. Learn more

C286 (Retinoic Acid Receptor Oral Drug)

In a joint study by various colleges and universities in the United Kingdom, including King’s College London, researchers have developed a therapeutic treatment for spinal cord injuries by a targeting the Retinoic acid receptor β2 (RARβ2) to produce a regenerative effect. The drug they created is called C286 and has shown in studies in rats to modulate “neuron-glial pathways” which has led to induced functional recovery. They’ve also conducted this study in nerve stem cells of humans in the lab with similar success. “We have recently developed C286, an oral RARβ agonist drug that has been tested in a Phase 1 trial and demonstrated favourable safety.” Learn more

Using Spinal Stimulation to Restore Upper-Body Function

In one of the few studies on this list that included human trials, the ASPIRE study (which is occurring at 12 locations across the US) is a very exciting study to check out, as it has shown to help return upper body movement to people with quadriplegia through the use of TSS aka Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation. The study utilized a device called ExaStim, which can send electrical currents under the spinal cord to “jump start” the nervous system. This study only included people with quadriplegia. Right now they’re in Phase 2 of the treatment. Learn more

3D Printed Automated Orthotics

Orthotics for people with spinal cord injuries have gotten a massive upgrade in recent years thanks to 3D printed devices, including automated 3D printed orthotics, like the ones being made at Rothman Orthotics for people with quadriplegia. Their orthotics are completely automated and take the now antique “tenodesis splint” to a whole new level. They give people their hand back, allowing finger and wrist movement using built-in sensors. Learn more

Gene Therapy

Grégoire Courtine, a well-known French neuroscientist and professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, worked with his team to create a gene therapy for people with spinal cord injuries by using cell and molecular mapping technologies combined with AI (artificial intelligence). Once they discovered what the various genes in the spinal cord injury are responsible for, they created a gene treatment targeting astrocytes and Vsx2 neurons. Learn more