Virginia Via Research Day Book 2026

Graduate Student Research Biomedical

01 SPINAL CORD CONTUSION: LOCAL ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL BIOMARKERS FOR THE INJURY

Malaika Amin 1 ; Taylor Marie Dickson, OMS-IV 1 ; Anastasiya Loos, OMS-IV 1 ; Susan Murphy, PhD 2 ; Pamela VandeVord, PhD 2 ; Kelly C.S. Roballo, PhD 2 Corresponding author: mamin@vt.vcom.edu

1 VCOM-Virginia, Blacksburg, Virginia 2 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia

Context: Maintaining protein homeostasis (proteostasis) is essential for cellular regulation. Disruption of proteostasis leads to accumulation of misfolded or abnormal proteins, impairing cell function and contributing to tissue injury. In this study, we assessed key proteins and substrates as potential indicators of spinal cord injury. Ubiquitin C-Terminal Hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1), a deubiquitinating enzyme highly expressed in the central nervous system, is widely recognized as a neuronal biomarker for brain concussion severity. Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), a major structural component of astrocytes, and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), critical for neuronal growth and survival, represent common markers of neural and glial health. Additionally, Nitric Oxide (NO), a substrate linked to inflammatory responses, correlates with tissue damage severity. While these biomarkers are well-studied in brain injury, their analysis in spinal cord cell cultures is novel. This approach offers also new insights into their clinical utility for assessing spinal cord injury and identifying therapeutic targets for intervention.

Objective: The goal of this study was to analyze UCH-L1, BDNF, GFAP, and Nitric Oxide levels, over time in rat spinal cord cell culture to compare local response after the rats have sustained a spinal cord injury classified as a mild injury or contusion. Methods: For that, we used male rats with 250 300g with 8 animals per group which include sham group, no injured animals, and injured animals that have experienced blunt, isolated, spinal cord trauma. All procedures performed in this project received IACUC approval (22-182) and followed all laboratory animal guidelines and ethical procedures. At 24 hours, 72 hours, and 6 weeks post injury (SCI), animals were euthanized following all the animal guidelines, and spinal cords were isolated for cell culture, and levels of UCH-L1, BDNF, GFAP, and Nitric Oxide were measured by enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

Results: From our results, UCH-L1 was elevated in all SCI animals at all time points. There were no changes in BDNF levels in SCI animals. GFAP levels were elevated in SCI animals only at 24 hours post injury. NO levels were elevated in the first 24 hours and at 6 weeks post injury in SCI animals. Conclusion: From our results, UCH-L1 was the only marker that was elevated in all time points post injury. UCH-L1 is particularly useful for clinical applications due to its local and systemic presence. This data shows that UCH-L1 is not solely a marker for brain concussion, but also a marker for spinal cord concussion in this model of isolated spinal cord blunt trauma. Our results provide a foundation for growth and discovery within the field of spinal cord concussion and revolutionizing clinical testing for this group of injuries.

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117 2026 Research Recognition Day