KEY TAKEAWAYS: Tulane researcher Dr. Sina Pourtaheri is developing therapies for spinal cord regeneration and surgical infection prevention. A $3.5 million NIH grant supports research aimed at improving nerve regeneration after spinal cord injuries. Researchers created a biodegradable antibiot ic delivery system to reduce infections after spine and orthopedic surgeries. The research is advancing toward commercialization through Tulane’s Provost Proof of Concept Fund and collaborations with UCLA and the European Brain Research Institute.   A Tulane University researcher is advancing two biomedical technologies aimed at improving recovery from spinal cord injuries and reducing the risk of infections following orthopedic and spine surgeries. The research is led by Dr. Sina Pourtaheri, a spine surgeon at Gulf Coast Orthopedics and adjunct associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Tulane University’s School of Science and Engineering. The work focuses on developing drug delivery systems that release therapies directly at the site of injury or surgery. A key component of the research is supported by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study treatments that promote spinal cord regeneration. According to Tulane, the project builds on earlier research showing that a protein-based nanocapsule therapy restored movement in paralyzed mice. Researchers are now working to improve the technology with the goal of enhancing nerve regeneration and functional recovery. “We showed that in models of spinal cord injury, we can restore function in paralyzed limbs,” Pourtaheri said. “Now we’re developing newer versions of that technology to improve outcomes and move closer to what could help future patients.” In a separate project, Pourtaheri’s laboratory has developed a biodegradable antibiotic delivery system designed to reduce the risk of infections after spine and orthopedic procedures. The technology uses nanospheres that gradually release antibiotics over several weeks at the surgical site during the period when patients face the highest risk of infection. The findings from that research were recently published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics. According to Tulane, implant-related infections can lead to additional surgeries, long-term disability and higher healthcare costs. “Infections after surgery can be catastrophic and, in many cases, leave patients permanently disabled,” Pourtaheri said. “The goal is to prevent infection at the time of surgery by maintaining protective levels of antibiotics where they’re needed most.” Tulane recently selected Pourtaheri as one of three recipients of its Provost Proof of Concept Fund, a program administered through the Tulane University Innovation Institute and the provost’s office to help move early-stage research toward commercialization. University officials said the research program is designed to create adaptable drug delivery platforms that could eventually be applied to a variety of neurological disorders and surgical complications. The research is based in Tulane’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and includes collaborations with researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the European Brain Research Institute. The laboratory is also pursuing additional federal funding while exploring future clinical and commercial applications. Kyriakos Papadopoulos, a professor in Tulane’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, described the research as “the most exciting ones I have been involved with in my 45-year career at Tulane.” Jing Wen, an assistant professor in UCLA’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, said she and Pourtaheri have collaborated for more than a decade on spinal cord regeneration and other neurological research. “Together we have made important breakthroughs,” Wen said. “I am excited about this collaboration and the potential of our work to advance new therapies to improve the lives of future patients.” ...read more read less