Immunology Research

KEY FINDING: There is a marked downregulation of natural killer cell genes in individuals with chronic SCI.

KEY FINDING: Patients with UTIs had significantly lower FIM motor scores on admission, discharge, and gain compared to those without a UTI.

KEY FINDING: Systemic injection of a low dose of lipopolysaccharide improved the efficacy of rehabilitative training on forelimb function, as assessed using a single pellet reaching and grasping task.

KEY FINDING: Contrast-enhanced MRI revealed enhancement of the left L3–L5 descending nerves and left lumbosacral plexus, indicative of inflammatory/infectious aetiology.

KEY FINDING: There was no significant decrease in colony forming units per milliliter (cfu/ml) in the treatment vs. the control group.

KEY FINDING: Individuals with SCI levels rostral to T5, where sympathetic nervous system disruption would occur, had more differentially expressed genes (N = 2226) compared to able-bodied participants.

KEY FINDING: CCL5 protein levels were increased in astrocytes of rat injured spinal cord, in parallel with the expression of MIF.

KEY FINDING: L-selectin knockout (KO) mice showed improved long-term recovery with greater white matter sparing relative to wild-type (WT) mice and reduced oxidative stress in the injured cord at 72 h post-SCI.

KEY FINDING: Burkholderia fungorum was present in three samples during both asymptomatic and symptomatic periods, identified by 16S rRNA sequencing but not by traditional cultivation methods.

KEY FINDING: CRE prevalence varied based on the definition used, with definitions including ertapenem resistance leading to higher prevalence.