# Elucidating the innate immune response and its affect on glial bridging after spinal cord injury in zebrafish

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING · 2022 · $208,058

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Approximately 290,000 Americans live with spinal cord injury (SCI) representing a burden to
health-care systems and economies. A better understand of the process of SCI and new
therapeutic strategies are needed to tackle this significant problem. There is no effective cure for
SCIs often leading to a lifetime of therapy and permanent disability. Regenerative species that
can overcome the deleterious effects of SCI are a great resource to identify new therapeutic
targets. The zebrafish shares many organizational, cellular and molecular pathways with
mammals; however, regeneration and locomotor recovery occurs even after complete transection
of the spinal cord. In contrast to mammals, immune cells are differently recruited to the site of
injury in zebrafish and inflammation resolves. Little is known about (1) why immune cell
recruitment is different, (2) what dictates resolution of the inflammatory phase in zebrafish and (3)
whether resolution of inflammation contributes to promotion of a glial bridging instead of the glial
scarring seen with mammals. In this proposal, we will investigate the role electrical signaling plays
in recruitment and resolution of immune cells and whether changes in the electrical network
promotes glial bridging. The results of the proposed experiments will clarify the relationship
between electrical signaling, immune cell resolution, and glial bridging and advance our ability to
identify new therapeutic approaches to attenuate inflammation and promote recovery.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10495799
- **Project number:** 2P20GM121310-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen Mruk
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $208,058
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10495799

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10495799, Elucidating the innate immune response and its affect on glial bridging after spinal cord injury in zebrafish (2P20GM121310-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10495799. Licensed CC0.

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