Neurotrauma

The research on spinal cord injury and peripheral injury has in vitro and in vivo components The in vitro models of injury are used to analyse the mechanisms involved in injury and define new targets for treatment. The work is subsequently validated in vivo in several different models. The work is focused on both neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. Neuroprotection work includes the exploration of novel agents, such as phospholipase inhibitors and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are being developed for acute neuroprotective intervention after spinal cord trauma. Projects on new biomaterials explore their potential in nerve injury. Nerve injury and the process of nerve regeneration are also the focus of projects using lentiviral vector –based approaches, which modify the tissue environment after injury. Research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has a major clinical component which explores new biomarkers of the disease in biological fluids. Recent projects in the unit explore the potential of new metal binding compounds which could decrease the amyloid load and improve outcome in Alzheimer’s disease.

Research Projects

• Development of new fatty acid preparations for use in spinal cord injury
• Characterization of new metal-binding compounds with therapeutic potential in Alzheimer’s disease
• Novel biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• The neuroinflammatory response in nerve injury and neurodegeneration
• Lentiviral vectors in neuroregeneration
• The role of Schwann cells in nerve repair
• Identification of new conduits for long gap peripheral nerve repair
• Purinergic signalling in nerve injury
• Identification of purine receptor subtypes and their role in conditioning-like effects of ATP
• New implants for nerve repair