To our School of Medicine Community,
I am writing to share the sad news that renowned neuroscientist, Case Western Reserve University alumnus and longtime professor Jerry Silver, PhD, died Tuesday, Jan. 7, at the age of 77.
Jerry was a towering figure in the field of spinal cord injury and neural repair. His passion in research was to understand the basic molecular and cellular biology of the injured nervous system’s failure to repair itself with a focus on spinal cord injury.
The impact of Jerry’s research to help patients was remarkable. He single-handedly created a new area of research that found certain molecules inhibit neural repair and discovered ways to therapeutically manipulate these inhibitory molecular boundaries to promote functional recovery following injury. Most powerfully, he showed it is possible to regenerate neural connections for reversal of paralysis with protocols that block the inhibitory molecules or their receptors.
He was one of the first neuroscientists to recognize the crucial role of a large group of non-neuronal cells, glia, which were considered “brain support cells” in textbooks but are now known to play various key roles in brain development and function. He invented ADCON, a potent FDA-approved, anti-fibrotic gel, commercialized by Gliatech, that is used to prevent severely painful adhesions that can form initially after trauma or infection. Since its inception in 1995, ADCON has been used worldwide in over 400,000 operations, relieving the suffering of many patients.
Case Western Reserve recently licensed patented work from his second biotech company, NervGen, whose mission is to commercialize the Silver lab’s paralysis reversal strategy. This biopharma company is moving forward with human clinical trials with Jerry’s regenerative peptide called Intracellular Sigma Peptide (NVG291).
In addition to being named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Jerry was honored with prestigious awards, including the Christopher Reeve-Joan Irvine Research Medal for critical contributions that may lead to the promotion of repair of the damaged spinal cord. In 2004 he received the Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award that recognizes select National Institutes of Health (NIH) grantees who have made seminal contributions to their field of neuroscience, contributed exemplary service to NIH and who show great promise for continuing their cutting edge research into the future.
His legacy will also live on through his teaching and training of undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs and being an Case Inquiry (IQ) program facilitator for medical students. His exceptional scientific mentoring has resulted in faculty positions for 35 of his trainees at universities or hospitals throughout the world, including several who are department chairs or hold endowed professorships.
Jerry received his PhD from CWRU and after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, joined the CWRU faculty, first in the Department of Anatomy and, later, as a founding faculty member of the new Department of Neurosciences in 1989.
“Jerry will be remembered by the CWRU neuroscience community for his decades of cutting edge basic and translational research in neural repair, his great enthusiasm for other research in the neuroscience department, his insightful comments and questions at seminars and thesis committee meetings and his unique humor. He was just fun to be around,“ said Evan Deneris professor in the Department of Neurosciences.
Our deepest sympathies are with Jerry’s family during this difficult time. Students who would like support are encouraged to contact University Health and Counseling Services at 216.368.5872. This line is staffed by a counselor 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Faculty and staff can access counseling at any time by calling AllOne Health (formerly IMPACT Solutions) at 1.800.227.6007.
Jerry’s impact on our community and the future of spinal cord injury research and patients’ quality of life will long be remembered. I hope each of us can find inspiration to enhance our own work through his remarkable achievements.
Details for memorial services are pending. More information on Jerry’s work will be published in The Daily soon.
Sincerely,
Stan Gerson, MD
Dean, CWRU School of Medicine
Director, National Center for Regenerative Medicine