Among several distinguished researchers across the nation, UW scientist Ted Gross received an individual research grant from a $1.5 million donation from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Gross will use the grant for his studies of spinal cord injuries.

Gross and his colleagues were awarded their share of the grant money late last month by the organization, which advocates and funds research for improving the quality of life for people living with spinal cord injuries. Gross was awarded for his work in using muscle stimulation to mitigate bone loss due to muscle paralysis.

"Like any basic science laboratory, we do projects that we're interested in, that we have funding for ... , when we can get funding for it," Gross said. "This is an area that we haven't been, in the spinal cord area."

The aim of these individual research grants is to support basic research that affords scientists the ability to take risks that have groundbreaking potential, according to the organization.

"The Individual Research Grants program is the bedrock of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation's strategic scientific approach to spinal cord repair," vice president Susan Howley said.

Gross' specific area of research involves the counteracting of muscle and bone mass, which is a consequence of reduced activity from paralysis. He and his fellow researchers in the Orthopedic Science Laboratories developed a unique experiment for their grant application.

"The idea of the project is that we have a novel model," Gross explained. "We had this idea that if you paralyze the muscles in mice in their hind limbs, that they would lose bone mass."

Using botox, the same neurotoxin used in many cosmetic procedures, Gross' team paralyzed the mice's legs and discovered that the mice were mobile within hours, without the use of their hind legs. Because the leg muscles weren't stimulated, however, the mice lost bone mass.

As an analog, Gross emphasized that his experiment shows the need for muscle stimulation in order to prevent bone loss — even in muscles that are paralyzed — as soon as possible.

"We developed a really useful model," he said. "We've done some preliminary studies where ... we're able to inhibit some of the bone loss. We think what happens in the first couple weeks is most important."

While Gross said his share of the money is relatively small, every bit helps, and he was grateful for the gift.

"We were pretty excited," he said.

The foundation was pleased with the applicants and hopes these research projects will improve the state of spinal cord injuries.

"I am continually impressed by the outstanding quality of the applications, as this once-small field is now attracting many of the best and brightest young minds in the scientific community," Howley said. "Today, Christopher Reeve's dream of bringing the finest minds in science together to solve the problem of spinal cord repair is becoming a reality through the continuing work of his foundation."

Reach reporter Jeff Tripoli at news@thedaily.washington.edu.