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Who we are

The Spinal Injury Project (SIP) team, within the broader Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research (CJC), is a group of translational biomedical researchers who regularly collaborate with a range of specialist researchers, clinicians, and allied health professionals to accelerate development of a treatment for spinal cord injury.

What we do

The SIP team have worked alongside colleagues in the CJC to develop a treatment for spinal cord injury which uses cells from the olfactory nerve in your nose to build three-dimensional cell structures (‘nerve bridges’). Emerging from many years of cell-based research, current nerve bridges began development in 2019 and have since undergone extensive pre-clinical animal research. This research has shown nerve bridges to be safe and effective in restoring motor, sensory and autonomic function, paving the way to a Phase I Human Clinical Trial due to commence in 2025. Alongside this clinical research, the SIP team have been working with external research partners to assess feasibility of providing physical rehabilitation alongside nerve bridge treatment. The outcomes of two physical rehabilitation trials have exceeded our expectations, with complete success in implementation and delivery of the programs, and 100% retention of participants.

Why it matters

The critical advantages of nerve bridges over other spinal therapies are that cells within the bridge have existing stable intercellular connections prior to transplantation and are created without artificial matrices, scaffolds or gels. By using only an individual patient’s cells, risk of adverse reaction is greatly reduced. The nerve bridges are also robust and easily handled by surgeons for direct grafting into the injury site. These critical improvements maximise survival, integration and therapeutic efficacy of nerve bridges, thus giving treatment the best opportunity for success.

Work with us

The Spinal Injury Project (SIP) regularly engages with a consumer panel of eight individuals with lived experience of spinal cord injury who are reimbursed for their time and commitment. The CJC SIP team meets with this panel monthly to discuss upcoming research, gather feedback, explore questions together and contribute to grant applications. From the outset, the panel has played an integral role in guiding the CJC SIP research journey, from early development through to translation of therapies for the public through the upcoming Phase I Clinical Trial. This involvement ensures research remains grounded in real-world needs of the community it aims to support, with particular focus on meeting psychosocial priorities alongside biological clinical measures.

Who we are

The Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research team of the Neurodegeneration Project are a collaborative group of neuroscientists, clinicians and microbiologists working at the intersection of smell capacity, infection, and brain health. We work within the recently established Smell Clinic of the Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research (CJC) to understand how early signs of AD may be detected through changes in sense of smell.

What we do

Our research explores how bacteria in the nasal cavity may trigger inflammation in the brain and contribute to AD. Through smell testing, cellular models, and advanced tools like Next Generation Sequencing and metabolomics, we study how infection and immune responses might play a role in early neurodegeneration. The recently established Smell Clinic at CJC provides the AD team with an opportunity to engage members of the public in building a baseline for sense of smell in healthy and at-risk individuals. We will then be looking to work with at-risk individuals and those already diagnosed with AD to build a profile of how associated neurodegeneration maps on to sense of smell.

Why it matters

By uncovering how the sense of smell and bacteria in the olfactory system are linked to brain function, we aim to identify new early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Our goal is to increase early diagnosis and pave the way for preventive strategies, bringing science closer to solutions for patients and families affected by dementia.

Who we are

The Peripheral Nerve Repair team are a dedicated group of research scientists working on developing a treatment option for healing damage to nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord. The goal for this research is to restore motor and sensory function and alleviate associated pain suffered by individuals with peripheral nerve injuries (PNI).

What we do

Peripheral nerves are all the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord which provide movement and feeling to most of our body, including fingers, hands, limbs and face. Injuries to these nerves can result in permanent loss of function and paralysis. Researchers in the Peripheral Nerve Repair team focus on further developing ‘nerve bridge’ technology (a therapeutic intervention developed by the Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research (CJC)) for use in damaged peripheral nerves. ‘Nerve bridges’ are three-dimensional constructs of the novel cell transplantation therapy which was developed to treat spinal cord injuries. Nerve bridges enable nerve cells to align and re-connect at the site of an injury and slowly reverse the damage, which facilitates recovery of sensation and motor function. The Peripheral Nerve Repair team are working on making these nerve bridges suitable for use in treating peripheral nerve injuries. A clinical trial for nerve bridge application in spinal cord injury is already underway, and our promising pre-clinical data in peripheral nerves demonstrates viability, safety, and efficacy of this technology. We are currently focussed on progressing a peripheral nerve treatment using nerve bridges to clinical trial.

Why it matters

Nerve bridge technology is particularly exciting for peripheral nerve treatment as they can be designed to match exact shape and size of an injury, enabling a custom approach. With fine tuning and the appropriate research partnerships, nerve bridges offer a new frontier for nerve injury treatment options.

Work with us

As we are constantly thriving to create awareness about nerve bridge technology and to connect to people living with PNI, we have established a consumer panel for this research. Working with their needs, we aim to provide the best quality treatment and ensure continued benefit to the community.