Professor links body chemical to spinal cord injuries

Purdue researchers have discovered that a certain chemical in the body is the reason behind the worst parts of spinal cord injuries.

Riyi Shi, professor of neuroscience and biomedical engineering, said spinal cord injuries of all kinds are made worse after the initial injury by a compound in the body.

“The physical injury happens instantaneously, “ said Shi. “Secondary injury is mostly chemical based.”

The compound that does all this damage has been dubbed “acrolein,” according to Shi.

“We found out in most spinal cord injuries, this compound increases the injury by five or six times,” he said.

Shi explained that acrolein increases the production of free radicals. A free radical is an atom that first loses an electron. The atom then tries to acquire another electron, stealing one from another atom. The atom that has an electron stolen also becomes a free radical. If this cycle goes unchecked, it can cause severe tissue damage as many atoms and molecules are destabilized and destroyed.

“People first tried to treat spinal cord injury through removing free radicals,” Shi said, “but the acrolein just makes more of them.”

Shi explained the reason for the body’s production of acrolein is unknown.

“All we know is that it’s a waste product,” he said.

While it has been discovered and identified, Daniel Smith, a senior research scientist working with Shi, said an actual treatment for the effects of acrolein is still years away.

“We would first have to identify a compound that reduces acrolein,” Smith said. “That would start out in animal models, then it would move into human testing. That process takes multiple years.”

Even so, Shi said the discovery of acrolein and its workings are a good start.

“The secondary injury from acrolein is time-dependent; it takes time to happen. It gives us a window to give treatment. Not only can you repair injury, but you can prevent it.”

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Professor links body chemical to spinal cord injuries