Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded The Ohio State University a Project Grant of $586,866 on May 6, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853). The award supports research focused on developing a regenerative cellular therapy for cervical spinal cord injury through transplantation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived deep cortical neurons. The research will employ a rat cervical contusion model at the C5 spinal cord level to evaluate transplant survival, neuronal integration, synaptic circuit formation, and functional recovery outcomes over the five-year project period concluding April 30, 2031.

The primary deliverable is scientific evidence regarding the efficacy of deep cortical neuron transplants as a therapeutic intervention for cervical spinal cord injury repair. Specific products include experimental data on transplant integration and survival rates, anatomical and functional synaptic connectivity between transplanted neurons and host spinal cord circuitry, behavioral and functional testing results demonstrating upper limb recovery outcomes, and peer-reviewed research publications. The research aims to establish a reproducible in vitro differentiation protocol and validate whether transplanted deep cortical neurons form meaningful connections that restore host corticospinal tract axon function, potentially enabling significant improvements in upper limb independence for cervical spinal cord injury patients.