Department of Veterinary Medicine

Research in Veterinary Medicine

Other relevant links

Research description

My research interests centre on mechanisms of loss and recovery of function after injury to the nervous system. For instance, we have been developing methods to define the way in which thoracolumbar spinal cord injury affects coordination between the fore and hind limbs of dogs and the positioning of the hind legs with respect to the centre of mass. These methods are now being used, together with electrophysiological analysis and urodynamics, to define the effects of intraspinal transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells into severe spinal cord injuries in the dogs presented to the Departmental Veterinary Hospital. Link to project webpage.

In other, more clinically-orientated projects, we are investigating the effects of cranial cruciate ligament rupture (in the knee joint) on nerve responses in the spinal cord and investigating the possibility of using skin biopsies to diagnose diseases of the peripheral nervous system in dogs.

Main collaborators

• Professor Robin Franklin, University of Cambridge
• Dr TJ McKinley, University of Cambridge
• Dr PM Smith, University of Liverpool
• Dr Daisuke Ito, Nihon University, Japan

Key publications since 2001

• Skinner APC, Pachnicke S, Lakatos A, Franklin RJM, Jeffery ND. (2005) Nasal and frontal sinus mucosa of the adult dog contain numerous olfactory sensory neurons and ensheathing glia. Research in Veterinary Science 78: 9-15.
• Jeffery ND, Lakatos A, Franklin RJM. (2005) Autologous olfactory glial cell transplantation is reliable and safe in naturally-occurring canine spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma 22: 1282-1293.
• Smith PM, Jeffery ND. (2005) Spinal shock: comparative aspects and clinical relevance. J Am Vet Int Med 19: 788-793.
• Ito D, Matsunaga S, Jeffery ND, Sasaki N, Nishimura R, Mochizuki M, Kasahara M, Fujiwara R, Ogawa H (2005) Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a prognostic indicator in dogs with paraplegia caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation: 77 cases (2000-2003). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 227:1454–1460.
• Ito D, Ibanez C, Ogawa H, Franklin RJ, Jeffery ND. (2006) Comparison of cell populations derived from canine olfactory bulb and olfactory mucosal cultures.
• Am J Vet Res. 67:1050-6.
• Jeffery ND, Smith PM, Lakatos A, Ibanez C, Ito D, Franklin RJ. (2006) Clinical canine spinal cord injury provides an opportunity to examine the issues in translating laboratory techniques into practical therapy. Spinal Cord 44: 584-593.
• Smith PM, Jeffery ND (2006) Histological and ultrastructural analysis of white matter damage after naturally-occurring spinal cord injury. Brain Pathol 16: 99-109.
• Ibanez C, Ito D, Zawadzka M, Jeffery ND, Franklin RJM (2007) Calponin is expressed by fibroblasts and meningeal cells but not olfactory ensheathing cells in the adult peripheral olfactory system. Glia 55:144-51
• Rusbridge C, Jeffery ND (2008) Pathophysiology and treatment of neuropathic pain associated with syringomyelia. Vet J 175: 164–172
• Hamilton L, Franklin RJM Jeffery ND (2007) Development of a universal measure of quadrupedal forelimb-hindlimb coordination using digital motion capture and computerised analysis. BMC Neuroscience 8:77
• Ito D, Fujita N, Ibanez C, Sasaki N, Franklin RJM, Jeffery ND (2008) Serum-free medium provides a clinically relevant method to increase olfactory ensheathing cell numbers in olfactory mucosa cell culture. Cell Transplantation 16: 1021-1027.
• Hamilton L, Franklin RJM, Jeffery ND (2008) Quantification of deficits in lateral paw positioning after spinal cord injury in dogs. BMC Veterinary Research 4:47
• Jeffery ND, McBain SC, Dobson J, Chari DM (2008) Uptake of systemically administered magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in areas of experimental spinal cord injury (SCI). Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (Epub Dec 2008)