Grant: Project Grant

Severe spinal cord injuries cause complete paralysis of the legs, leaving affected people unable to walk. The loss of walking capacity leads to numerous other health conditions, including diabetes, obesity, pressure injuries, and breathing and cardiovascular complications. We have developed a method to activate the spinal cord below the level of injury by passing minute levels of electrical pulses through very fine, hair-like electrodes implanted inside the spinal cord, activating networks involved in generating walking. We demonstrated in pre-clinical models that this approach is safe, feasible, and capable of generating long durations of stable standing and walking. We are now focusing on translating this approach to clinical implementation to restore walking capacity after paralysis. This application focuses on developing electrode arrays that can be repeatedly and reliably manufactured and an implantable, wirelessly-operated stimulator to deliver currents through the electrodes. We will test the functionality of the system in pigs, a pre-clinical model with spinal cord dimensions and shape similar to those in humans. Development of the electrodes and wirelessly-operated stimulator will put us on a dedicated path towards clinical translation, offering persons with spinal cord injury in the future an effective approach for restoring walking capacity.