Ohio State Probes Spinal Cord Immunity with Grant
Researchers at The Ohio State University have received a $1.2 million grant to study the role of the spinal cord in immune system regulation. The project aims to prove that the spinal cord can detect infections independently of the brain, potentially revolutionizing treatments for inflammatory diseases.
Why it matters
This research challenges a century-old medical paradigm regarding the nervous system's role in immunity, which could lead to breakthroughs in treating chronic inflammation.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The W.M. Keck Foundation has awarded $1.2 million to researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine to conduct novel spinal cord research.
This project, led by Phillip Popovich, PhD , professor and chair of neuroscience at Ohio State, explores whether the spinal cord helps detect infection and direct the body's immune response. The work challenges the long-held view that the brain is the nervous system's main controller of immunity.
"For more than a century, the story of how the brain and body talk to the immune system has centered on the brain. We think that story is missing a chapter," said Popovich, who holds the Ray W. Poppleton Research Designated Chair and serves as executive director of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury .
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