IVIg Trials: Innovating Acute SCI Treatment

The Challenge

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition without a cure or effective treatments to improve neurological recovery. The acute phase of SCI (1 - 2 days post-injury) is marked by an aberrant inflammatory response that causes additional damage to the spinal cord. 

Project Overview 

The IVIg project aims to repurpose IVIg, a treatment approved for various diseases, as a neuroprotective treatment for acute SCI. The focus is on understanding the inflammatory response to SCI, at the time of injury, its damage to spinal cord tissue, and how proven immunomodulatory treatments can mitigate harmful inflammation. The goal is to develop the first-ever SCI treatment for new injuries in the acute phase.

Prof. Ruitenberg’s current research focuses on understanding what happens inside the spinal cord after injury. SpinalCure is a long-standing supporter of the work of Ruitenberg’s team and funded the pre-clinical research that led to the IVIg trial.

"We still don't have a full understanding of how the body actually responds to spinal cord injury and what goes on inside the spinal cord itself," he explains. "We need to understand that because it is really important to give people function back.

"What we're trying to understand is what aspects of inflammation contribute to that spread of damage into tissue that was originally preserved. By being able to protect that tissue, we are enabling a better recovery." Professor Marc Ruitenberg, University of Queensland

Results data is in the analysis phase and still in the process of being finalised. Once this is complete, the paper will be submitted for publication. 

Measuring Impact

Hearts & Minds measures its impact across six core categories as developed by the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes. Key highlights include:

Advancing Knowledge

• Collaborations: Partnerships with SpinalCure, insurance commissions, NSW Health, and various SCI partners and advocates.
• Research Partnerships: Collaborations with leading academic institutions and hospitals, including Charité Hospital (Berlin), Ohio State University, and industry partner CSL Behring.
• Research Publications: Prof. Ruitenberg’s research papers have received over 6,500 citations, with around 3,000 in the last five years. Selected research publications over the last year include papers in top outlets like the Journal of Neuroinflammation, Nature Communications, and Nature Genetics.
• Knowledge Sharing: Prof. Ruitenberg actively participates in conferences and workshops nationally and globally.
• Community Engagement: SpinalCure has led numerous events, community awareness campaigns, and media engagements. SpinalCure and University of Queensland liaise on shared media and social post opportunities. 

Research Capacity Building

• Diverse Team: All staff in Prof. Ruitenberg’s lab are early-stage researchers, with a high representation of women (83%), including four PhD students.
• Data Sharing: Future planning for Prof. Ruitenberg to establish a registry containing outcome data for people with SCI, with a biobank of blood cells and samples for advanced research. Ideally this will link with the US-led TRACK-SCI (Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Spinal Cord Injury), for global impact.
• External Committees: Prof. Ruitenberg is an Editorial Board member of Spinal Cord and Chair of the Health Sciences Animal Ethics Committee.
  

Health Impacts

The IVIg project has the potential to:

• ‍Reduce Healthcare Burden: Significant health system improvements by reducing SCI-related burdens.‍
• Improve Quality of Life: Reduce severity of disability outcomes and improve the health for SCI individuals.‍
• Combat Infections: Help prevent serious complications such as life-threatening pneumonia.

Economic Impacts

• Cost Savings: Reducing healthcare costs and delivering significant savings to the economy. A key finding of the report "Spinal Cord Injuries in Australia – The case for investing in new treatments" shows that a 10% reversal of paralysis could deliver $3.5 billion in cost savings, with the potential to be as high as $10.3 billion.
• Strong Support: Additional funding through fundraisers, philanthropists, and other partnerships.

The IVIg project aims to transform the treatment landscape for acute SCI by repurposing a proven immunomodulatory treatment.

Funding support from Hearts and Minds Investments, as nominated by Core Fund Manager, Caledonia.

This content was last updated in August 2025, for further information, visit SpinalCure Australia.