Peripheral nerve grafts, neurotrophic factors, and ex vivo gene therapy in visual system repair [ 2002 - 2004 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: A/Pr Qi Cui (Principal investigator) ,  E/Pr Alan Harvey

Brief description Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of people are victims of severe brain and spinal cord injuries, often as a result of motor vehicle accidents or sporting mishaps. Thousands more are added to this population each year. Because there is only limited intrinsic potential for the regeneration of axons in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS), traumatic injury almost always results in long-lasting functional impairments (mental and-or physical). The personal, social and economic costs for the long-term clinical care and maintenance of functionally impaired patients are enormous. The proposed study aims to develop new and unique surgical and molecular approaches to CNS repair, using the rodent visual system as the experimental model. Pieces of peripheral nerve (PN) will be cellularly and genetically manipulated to produce increased levels of growth promoting factors. The modified PN tissue will then be transplanted into the injured CNS. It is expected that the increased levels of neurotrophic factors will promote and guide the regeneration of increased numbers of nerve fibres through the bridges and back into appropriate parts of the brain. A major goal is to determine if it is possible to harvest adult peripheral glia (Schwann cells) from the PN of a host, expand and engineer these cells ex vivo, and then graft these cells back into the same host to promote the repair of injured fibre tracts. Such an approach would be of considerable benefit in the surgical repair of CNS injuries in humans. It is thus intended that our experimental studies will lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human brain and spinal cord injuries, resulting in improved functional outcomes and better quality of life after neurotrauma.

Funding Amount $AUD 240,990.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant