In the past twenty years our understanding of spinal cord injury and nerve regeneration has grown exponentially with each successive year. With the work of Dr. Wise Young involving calcium influx, a key step in acute SCI secondary injury, and of Dr. Martin Schwab involving Nogo, a myelin-based extracellular protein inhibitory to nerve regrowth, medical science began to understand the reasons for both the extensive functional losses associated with SCI and the perceived inability of the spinal cord to regenerate. Also, Dr. Jerry Silver has more recently identified inhibitory molecules within the glial scar (a physical barrier that forms soon after acute SCI at the site of injury) that also represent major impediments to the spinal cord's ability to spontaneously regenerate.

In addition to improving their understanding of the molecular roadblocks to spinal cord regeneration, researchers have made impressive gains in determined factors that induce the repair or replacement of damaged spinal tissues. Precursor cell implantation, genetic engineering, methods of inducing embryogenesis (both with and without embryonic tissues) and substrate lesion scaffolding are among the promising avenues having shown functional results in animal studies (for several applications, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, SCI, Multiple Sclerosis, and Stroke). In a few pilot cases, these avenues have led to functional improvements in humans. Furthermore, worldwide "basic" research now plans to move forward with embryonic stem cell research, which may lead to additional curative treatments in the future. However, by combining our understanding of molecular roadblocks to regeneration with research avenues shown to induce neural repair or regrowth, I believe that an effective cure for SCI may now be designed, developed, and brought to clinical trial. The components of such a treatment certainly now exist. Therefore, the Mike Utley Foundation primarily supports:

• applied research whose investigators share this vision and who are willing to collaborate with others towards reaching this attainable goal.

• basic research having the strong potential to quickly fit this profile.

Essentially, I see this situation as being "first and goal on the one yard line." Now is the time to drive the ball forward and score!