This $111,307 Project Grant was awarded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to the University of Pittsburgh on September 1, 2024. The grant funds research to develop biomarkers for detecting secondary injuries and cell damage in patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries.
The research project has two phases. The first phase (K99) involves a retrospective analysis of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) samples to test the hypothesis that ischemic cord injuries increase CSF serotonin levels in spinal cord injury subjects. The second phase (R00) is a prospective evaluation of CSF adenosine levels as a biomarker for cord hypoxia prior to ischemic injury, as well as the use of CSF serotonin as a biomarker for cytotoxic cell damage. This research aims to identify sensitive biomarkers that can help direct acute interventions to limit disability and improve recovery for spinal cord injury patients.
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