Thanks to support from Jay Lieberman of the Derfner Foundation and donors like you, a team of scientists and clinicians at the Derfner-Lieberman Laboratory for Regenerative Rehabilitation Research explores new ways to accelerate recovery for people with disabling musculoskeletal injuries.

The Derfner-Lieberman Laboratory within Kessler Foundation's Center for Spinal Cord Injury Research has established a national reputation for innovation. Early successes in pilot studies attracted interest in larger studies, and the team secured grants from state and federal funders. Additional support from the Derfner Foundation and other donors has expanded opportunities for research and clinical fellowships, strengthening this unique partnership in translating research advances into clinical care.

Researchers leading these efforts are Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, who directs the Derfner-Lieberman Laboratory and the Center for Spinal Cord Injury Research at Kessler Foundation, Nathan Hogaboom, PhD, the first Derfner-Lieberman Fellow, now co-director of the Derfner-Lieberman Laboratory, Jay Bowen, DO, director of New Jersey Regenerative Institute and visiting scientist at Kessler Foundation. In 2020, Dr. Hogaboom was named a Rising Star of Regenerative Research by the Alliance for Regenerative Rehabilitation Research and Training, in partnership with the International Consortium for Regenerative Rehabilitation.

The team is expanding studies in wheelchair users with shoulder pain unresponsive to standard treatments. Their approach, a minimally invasive alternative to surgery, consists of a single injection of autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue. “We extract fat from the participant’s abdomen, process the sample, and inject it into the shoulder joint,” explains Dr. Malanga. Among the new equipment donated by the Derfner Foundation is a mini arthroscope, called a nanoscope, which can be inserted into the joint to assess improvements in tendon and cartilage following these treatments. 

To document improvements, participants undergo periodic examinations and imaging studies at the Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center at Kessler Foundation. ShopRite/Wakefern Food Corp. recently donated a shoulder coil, a custom device that enables scientists to image the shoulder joint with greater detail. “Now, we can precisely measure changes in the tendons, helping us identify biomarkers that document response to the injection,” notes Dr. Hogaboom. “This will expand our research and open the way to more funding and more advances in care," he predicts.

The team’s initial success with this regenerative approach has since been extended to other musculoskeletal injuries. A study investigates the use of an alternative treatment for military personnel with torn knee menisci, a common cause of limited duty. “If our less invasive treatment proves effective, recovery time will be much shorter than with surgery, and we will lower the risk for complications,” says Dr. Bowen. 

Another study tests a device, the Cervigard Neck Collar, for treating neck pain in military personnel. “Analgesics may not only lead to addiction and accidental overdose, but can impair cognitive and physical functions critical to safety and performance,” explains Dr. Bowen. “Short-term noninvasive therapy using the neck collar device is one positive approach.”

The goal of this research: Help people recover as quickly and as fully as possible.