Latest Research Summaries

KEY FINDING: Tuatara tail regeneration is a slow process that combines regeneration and growth (“regengrow”), resulting in tails with a cartilaginous axis, connective tissue, fat cells, and sparse nerves.

KEY FINDING: Conditional knockout of b-catenin in Nkx2.1-expressing progenitors in mice leads to severe hydrocephalus from mid-gestation through adulthood, establishing a reliable animal model.

KEY FINDING: Aneurysm clips can be safely and effectively used to repair cisterna chyli injuries during spinal surgery.

KEY FINDING: Adult humans uniquely lose the central canal, which is replaced by a structure with large ependymal cell accumulations, astrogliosis, and perivascular pseudo-rosettes, unlike other mammals.

KEY FINDING: Nuclear epigenome affects mitochondrial function, influencing diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and ALS.

KEY FINDING: The Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry (RHSCIR) collects data on individuals with SCI to answer research questions, facilitate implementation of best practices, and link stakeholders.

KEY FINDING: Different applied forces during RAGT can induce distinct after-effects on stepping performance within the training device.

KEY FINDING: Both the XG and CG showed significant improvements post intervention with medium to large effect sizes in the PDMS-2 grasp and VMI tests scores, as well as the CUE assessment outcome measures

KEY FINDING: Microglia are an important component of the protective scar that forms after SCI. Microglia form a dense cellular interface between reactive astrocytes and infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages at the border of the lesion post-SCI.

KEY FINDING: Fibrotic scar tissue, composed of fibroblasts and excess extracellular matrix, forms after SCI and inhibits axonal regeneration.