Christopher Reeve Foundation

CHRISTOPHER REEVE IS a name that most everyone immediately recognizes as synonymous with saving lives, usually as an actor on the big screen. However, in 1995, this “superman” changed roles, going from a self—sufficient man to a quadriplegic. He and his wife Dana sought out the help of the American Paralysis Foundation; later, this organization merged with the couple's efforts, adopted their names and funding, and became known as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

This organization has since helped thousands of paralyzed individuals around the world improve their quality of life, as well as supporting hundreds of scientists in their research efforts regarding spinal cord injuries. The organization's mission reads:

Funding is done through many avenues, one of which is the Individual Research Grants Program. The Individual Research Grants Program supports examining the most basic, molecular mechanisms of spinal cord damage and possible means of repair. Immunology and neuroscience fields are also included in grant money.

Major categories of research the foundation supports are axon guidance (regenerating axons must often grow several feet and end up joining with the correct nerves); synapse formation (connections between the nerves—synapses—must work correctly if information is to get from one part of the body to another); neurotransmission (proper chemicals—neurotransmitters—in correct amounts must be present and must have proper receptors to continue the transmission of information); cellular replacement (damaged neurons and their support cells must be coaxed to regrow); therapeutic cells (stem cells can be transplanted in and encourage the missing or damaged cells to regrow); substrates (transplanted cells can serve as scaffolding for the new cells to grow within); concomitant function (many functions controlled by the spinal cord are impaired with spinal cord injuries [SCI]; scientists are trying to address these problems); neuroprotection (after injury, the body's natural immune system responds to the trauma; decreasing this immune response could save many nerve cells that were not initially damaged); growth inhibition (inhibiting the inhibitory effects nerve support cells have on neuronal growth); and promotion of axon growth and remyelination, rehabilitation, and stem cell research (using primitive cells to restart development of the spinal cord).

The foundation also has an International Research Consortium on SCI, facilitating collaboration of many international research labs. Through these relationships, contributions have been made to treatments for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, multiple sclerosis, and amyo—trophic lateral sclerosis.

Getting over the hump from bench science research and results to actual patient treatment can be tough. The Translational Research Fund helps bridge that transition. Once protocols can be applied to people, clinical trials are needed to ensure safety and efficacy. Clinical trials are also included in the foundation's work, under the umbrellas of the foundation's North American [Page 103]Clinical Trials Network and NeuroRecovery Network. Through this encouragement and support of scientific research on SCI, neuroscientists everywhere have come to shift their perspective from one of possibly finding a cure for SCI to one of knowing a cure is possible and that it is only a matter of time until it is found.

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