• Accomplishments
• Contact

• Research
• Spinal Cord Injury Projects
  • Bone Marrow Grafts for Spinal Cord Repair
  • Corticospinal Regeneration
  • EphA4 Peptide Inhibitors for Neurotrauma Treatment
  • Macrophage Cytotoxicity after SCI
  • Matrix Technology for Spinal Cord Repair
  • National Study of Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Outcomes
  • New Treatments for Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
  • Novel Sodium Channel Blockers
  • Singing in Spinal Cord Injury
  • Sleep Health in Tetraplegia
  • Spinal Cord Recovery in the Opossum
• Traumatic Brain Injury Projects
• Targeted Initiatives
• Completed TBI and SCI Projects
• Program Grants

Macrophage Cytotoxicity after SCI

Amelioration of Macrophage Cytotoxicity After Spinal Cord Injury: Impact on Secondary Injury and Axonal Regeneration

Chief Investigator: Associate Professor David Howells
Associate Investigator: Dr Peter Batchelor
Lead Organisation: University of Melbourne
VNI Funding: $626,560
Project Start Date: 14-Aug-07

Project Summary:
This project aims to determine if two immune system regulators (IL-4 and IL-10) can reduce damage to nerve cells in the spinal cord following traumatic injury. Promising results have been seen in tissue culture experiments, where it has been demonstrated that these two regulators can prevent the release of the toxins TNF-alpha and NO. A series of experiments over 3 years will seek to replicate these findings in the more complex environment of an animal model and determine whether secondary injury can be prevented and scar formation altered through the use of IL-4 and IL-10. This study may be an important step in the development of an effective treatment for human spinal cord injury.