Clinical Microbiology: Open Access

Allan D Levi

Biography

Allan D Levi works in the department of Department of Neurological Surgery and has worked in the The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at University of Miami MILLER School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA. 

Research Interest

Cellular Transplantation, Spinal Cord Injury, Peripheral Nerve Injury, Hypothermia, Stem Cells My research interests have focused on developing cellular transplantation strategies to repair injuries within both the human central and peripheral nervous system. Schwann cells are the principal support cells with the peripheral nervous system and have the capacity to promote regeneration of central nervous system neurons as well as remyelinate central axons which have lost their insulation. I have focused much of my previous research efforts in furthering our understanding of the biology of human Schwann cells which have been isolated using cell culture techniques. The results of these studies have demonstrated that human Schwann cells have the capacity to form myelin after transplantation within immune deficient rodent models and that their numbers can be significantly increased with addition of growth factors. My current research interests involve serving as (1) PI on intravascular hypothermia after human cervical spinal cord injury (2) co-PI on the FDA approved trial of “The Safety of Autologous Human Schwann Cells in Subjects with Sub-acute Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)” and (3) PI on the clinical development and characterization of the use of autologous human Scwhann cells for peripheral nerve injuries with a lengthy gap to promote peripheral nerve regeneration (4) Site PI of a Phase II Proof-of-Concept Study of the Safety and Efficacy of HuCNS-Stem Cell Transplantation in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury