The technology was developed over the course of five years by Professors Richard Borgens and Riyi Shi. Their patented technology utilizes polyethylene glycol, or PEG, to treat acute spinal cord injuries. The research, first begun in 1999 on guinea pigs, has yielded encouraging preclinical results in dogs that were treated with both intravascular injections of PEG and conventional surgical intervention within the early, acute phase of their spinal cord injury. When administered within 72 hours of serious spinal injury, PEG was shown to prevent or reduce permanent spinal damage in most dogs.

Lab tests revealed that, even when the spine was initially damaged to the point of paralysis, PEG prevented the nerve cells from rupturing irrevocably, enabling them to heal themselves. All dogs treated in this study were seen by participating veterinarians within three days of the onset of their injuries.

Considerable research still lies ahead to refine PEG for possible use in humans on hours- or days-old spinal injuries.

For additional information, see the Indianapolis Star article or the Lafayette Journal and Courier article.