January 2019 - Cells involved in clear up of debris caused by SCI promote inflammation and scarring
Yi Ren, a professor of biomedical sciences at the Florida State University College of Medicine has been working to understand why such significant harm is inflicted in the weeks and months after a spinal cord injury. Thousands of people worldwide suffer severe spinal cord injuries each year, but little is known about why these injuries often continue to deteriorate long after the initial damage occurs.
Research into the effects of the immune system's response to spinal cord injury has been carried out for a number of years and is still the subject of studies across the globe. This research by Professor Ren looks at the impact endothelial cells have on the body as they clear myelin debris which occurs after nerve damage. Myelin is the protective outer layer of the axons.