And even if further animal tests and human trials go as hoped, the new drug is at least five to 10 years away. He stressed that his research could prove to lessen secondary damage in future cases of spinal injury, but it won't help people who've already been injured. A big question for further research is how long after the injury can the drug be administered before it loses its effectiveness. My guess is that we'll see therapeutic effects up to 24 hours after injury but there will be diminishing therapeutic effects. Juurlink's lab is one of the few in Canada working on prevention of secondary damage in the wake of neurotrauma.
Most research is focused on repairing damage once it has occurred.
Bernie Juurlink Juurlink has been working for the past decade on oxidative stress, with funding from several sources including the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan, Melfort Union Hospital's Ralston Brothers Medical Research Fund, and the Medical Research Council. His current research, which springs from the earlier basic research findings, is funded by the Saskatchewan Neurotrauma Initiative. His work is just one example of the exciting advances in neuroscience that are happening at the U of S. Many of these advances will be showcased March 13-19 during Brain Awareness Week, sponsored by the Saskatchewan Neuroscience Network. The week will culminate with the Brain Show at Saskatoon City Hospital on Sun., March 19. That's why it shouldn't come as a surprise that the University of Saskatchewan has some of the country's leading scientists in space research.