BREATHE members, Drs. Gordon Mitchell, Emily Fox, and Alex Marciante, along with alumni Drs. Jay Nair and Joe Welch, recently published a new study in APS Function. Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) is a promising strategy to induce functional motor recovery following chronic spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. This study confirmed that there are clear links between genetics, age and sex with simultaneous acute intermittent hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) and acute intermittent hypercapnia (the increase in partial pressure of carbon dioxide)-induced phrenic motor plasticity in rodents. The findings from this work provides “clues about which individuals will benefit most/least from therapeutic acute intermittent hypoxia,” says Dr. Mitchell.
This publication represents the collaborative work and culture of the BREATHE Center with partners like Brooks Rehabilitation and other clinical collaborators. Dr. Fox notes that this publication highlights “the bi-directional translational work between our human and rodent research” and how it “allows us to advance science with mechanistic understanding from basic science and proof of concept evidence in humans about the role of genetic variants in the response to powerful therapeutics such as AIH. This is a critical foundation for translation of this work to clinical populations and advancements in rehabilitation.” Check out the full publication here.
