SPINAL CORD INJURY

Tackling spinal cord damage demands an integrative treatment addressing the neuropathological features of human injuries and appropriately validated in relevant preclinical models before running clinical trials.

The interruption of axons disables brain-body communication, impeding the transmission of motor commands and sensory information. Axonal regrowth across the lesion is necessary to restore neurological function. However, the regenerative response is limited by tissue cavities and scarring, lack of trophic stimuli, and inhibitory molecular factors.

Human SCI caused by trauma or ischemia leads to a neural tissue gap extending for centimeters. Cavities filled with extracellular fluid and fibrotic scarring tissue form at the injury site, becoming a mechanical and molecular barrier to neural regeneration.

DREIMS will refine a novel healthcare technology integrating pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, and electrical stimulation to prevent fibrosis, bridge tissue cavities and promote tissue regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.