COLUMBUS, Ohio – Scientists at The Ohio State University have uncovered a promising link between gut bacteria and the body’s response to spinal cord injuries. In a series of mouse experiments, the team found that restoring a depleted bacterial strain helped reduce inflammation and curb weight loss, suggesting a new therapeutic target that could benefit patients recovering from such injuries.
Key findings from the mouse studies
The researchers examined 333 fecal samples from mice, generating more than 6,600 draft microbial genomes that represent roughly 80% of the gut microbiome in a commonly used laboratory mouse strain. By comparing injured mice—those with thoracic spinal cord damage—to uninjured controls, they tracked changes over six months, noting differences based on injury level, sex and time since injury.
One bacterial species, Lactobacillus johnsonii, was consistently depleted in injured mice. When the scientists reintroduced this bacterium, they observed lower inflammation markers and a stabilization of weight loss, indicating a potential role in supporting recovery.
However, the team cautioned that adding a single species may not be sufficient. The gut ecosystem is complex, with many microorganisms interacting, competing for nutrients, and influencing each other’s survival. Successful, lasting benefits will likely require a broader approach that considers these microbial relationships.
Broader implications and future directions
A separate analysis highlighted changes in nitrogen balance in injured male mice, linking the disruption to bacteria that convert specific compounds into usable nitrogen. This imbalance affected chemical signaling tied to muscle function, offering insight into why muscle wasting can follow spinal cord injuries.
By narrowing the strongest connections to 19 bacterial species, the researchers have a more focused roadmap for future studies. They suggest that targeting the gut may be advantageous because it is more accessible than the brain or spinal cord, making it easier to modify through diet, probiotics or other interventions.
Phillip Popovich, a neuroscience professor and department chair at Ohio State, emphasized that spinal cord injuries impact more than the nervous system. “The injury can disrupt communication between the brain and organs, including the gut, where large populations of microbes interact with immune cells,” he said. “These disruptions can contribute to inflammation, infections, slow healing and gastrointestinal problems.”
The findings could extend beyond traumatic spinal cord injuries. Conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and ALS also interfere with brain‑spinal‑gut communication, and similar microbial pathways may be relevant.
While the research is still in early stages and based on animal models, it opens a hopeful avenue for developing treatments that are less invasive and potentially more effective. Further studies will be needed to determine whether these approaches can be safely translated to human patients.
What this means for the local community
Ohio’s strong research ecosystem, anchored by institutions like Ohio State, continues to produce discoveries that could improve health outcomes for residents. As the work progresses toward human trials, local healthcare providers and families affected by spinal cord injuries may soon have new options to explore.
For now, the study underscores the importance of supporting scientific research and fostering collaborations between neuroscience and microbiology—a partnership that could bring tangible benefits to Ohio families dealing with serious injuries.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
