The Cleveland Clinic has received a $1 million federal grant to research treatments for spinal cord injuries.
The National Institutes of Health grant will help lead investigator Yu-Shang Lee develop surgical treatments that might allow nerves to regenerate and the bladder to recover after a spinal cord injury.
“In our laboratory, we have been able to stimulate re-growth of nerve fibers damaged after spinal cord injuries,” Dr. Lee said. “If we can successfully re-grow the nerves in patients, then we may be able to one day alleviate paralysis in patients with spinal cord injuries.”
More than 12,000 people annually sustain spinal cord injuries and 250,000 Americans are disabled due to spinal cord injuries.
By SHANNON MORTLAND
