Research Update

Column of Hope is excited to announce that two COH funded studies have been published this month.

1) Cerebellar and hindbrain motion in Chiari malformation with and without syringomyelia: This study has moved us closer to understanding the root cause of the Chiari headache, and suggests that brain motion might not be a factor in syrinx development.

2) Inwardly rectifying potassium channel 4.1 expression in post-traumatic syringomyelia: This Journal of Neurosurgery article documents the impact of potassium (K) channels on the formation of a syrinx in patients with spinal cord injuries.

We believe Column of Hope’s research still leads the world in the effort to understand and prevent post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS or PTSM)

You may remember that past published articles identified aquaporin levels as key indicators of syrinx formation in spinal cord injury patients. We have learned to up and down regulate aquaporins. Our ability to impact fluid flow then outpaced science’s ability to measure it. That prompted us to successfully develop a first of its kind method to measure fluid flow inside and outside of the spinal cord.

As we understand the mechanism of SM formation in spinal cord injured patients, it takes us closer to developing a protocol to prevent it.

Thank you to Column of Hope donors for making this all possible.