# Neural transplants to promote respiratory plasticity after spinal cord injury

> **NIH NIH R01** · DREXEL UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $335,989

## Abstract

Impaired breathing is a devastating consequence of cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), representing a significant
burden to injured people and increasing the risk of mortality. Respiratory dysfunction and associated secondary
complications remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with cervical SCI. Particularly
concerning are reports indicating that the number of cervical SCIs has increased in recent years. While there is
mounting clinical and experimental evidence for spontaneous improvements in respiration, the extent of recovery
– or functional plasticity – remains incomplete. However, plasticity is reliant on spared neural substrates after
incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Thus, the extent of recovery without therapeutic intervention and anatomical
repair is limited. To address this limitation, and amplify plasticity and recovery of breathing following
cervical SCI, the proposed work aims to use a novel cell therapy to promote repair of phrenic motor
pathways that control function of the diaphragm – a respiratory muscle essential to breathing.
 Results from our recent experimental studies have demonstrated that transplantation of interneuron-rich
neural progenitor cells at the site of injury can promote anatomical repair and improve respiratory function
following SCI. Transplanted neural precursor cells survive, proliferate and become integrated with injured host
spinal cord, contributing to repair of respiratory pathways. The experiments proposed here build upon our
extensive experience with the phrenic motor system, to test a novel strategy for transplanting refined
interneuronal precursors that are associated with phrenic function. Using a clinically relevant contusion model of
cervical SCI, we will test whether transplanted neural progenitors can anatomically and functionally integrate
with this phrenic system, and promote consistent, lasting recovery of diaphragm.
 Not only will these experiments test an innovative and promising treatment approach, but they will
significantly improve our understanding of the therapeutic potential of a wide range of neuronal
transplantation approaches, including many of the stem cell therapies currently being tested
experimentally and clinically.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10468326
- **Project number:** 5R01NS104291-05
- **Recipient organization:** DREXEL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Aron Lane
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $335,989
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10468326

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10468326, Neural transplants to promote respiratory plasticity after spinal cord injury (5R01NS104291-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10468326. Licensed CC0.

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