Purdue will use a grant from the National Institutes of Health to further its research on spinal cord injuries.
The Center for Paralysis Research received one-point-five-million dollars for its work dealing with the chemical acrolein.
Basic Medical Sciences Professor Riyi Shi is the lead researcher.
He says the treatment developed through this study could also be used with other disorders, such as multiple sclerosis.
Shi says the initial spinal injury can get worse within days because of the chemicals released when nerve cells are damaged.
The study also shows two FDA approved drugs for hypertension and depression could be used in potential treatments.