Test rats may help spinal cord injuries

In May 2007, Neuralstem, Inc. announced that it had successfully cured three rats of a specific type of spinal cord injury, allowing them to walk once again. Three other rats showed “significant improvement” in their joint mobility, although they were not able to walk. The rats were injected with human spinal stem cells (hSSCs) developed by the company.

This type of spinal cord injury is not uncommon in humans. Some surgical procedures like those to repair aortic aneurysms can cut off blood flow to the spinal cord for too long causing neurons to die, eventually leading to paralysis. Traditionally, paralysis has been permanent, leaving the patient as a paraplegic. Thousands of patients undergo surgery for aortic aneurysms every year.

Now there may be a treatment for this kind of spinal cord injury.

“Other human stem cell transplants in the spinal cord have focused on repairing the myelin-forming cells,” Dr. Karl Johe of Neuralstem said in a press release. “In this breakthrough study, we are reconstructing the neural circuitry, which has not been done before.”

In other words, these stem cells are “grafted” to the spinal cord, allowing them to repair and/or replace the dead neurons. Although the procedure may some time, in theory the stem cell treatment could completely repair spinal cord damage. And, the researchers note, humans would also have the benefit of physical therapy, which they believe would “accelerate integration of the grafted stem cells with the host tissue and enhance the therapeutic benefit of the cells.”

The research, which only tracked the rats over a two-month period, suggested that even more recovery would be possible over a six to twelve-month treatment period of stem cell injections.

Although this research is still lab-based, Neuralstem said that it hopes to file an outline of its first clinical trial for humans later in 2007. However it will likely take years before a full treatment program is approved for use in the United States.

The overwhelming leading causes of spinal cord injury are car accidents and acts of physical violence, often because of the negligence of some other person. If you or a loved one has experienced spinal cord injury and you believe someone else is to blame, contact Jim S. Adler & Associates for a free legal review. Don’t continue to suffer because of the actions of others, and don’t settle for less. Call Jim S. Adler & Associates directly right now at 1-800-505-1414 or fill out the  free case review form on this page with the details of your spinal cord injury. Let us help you recover your financial losses including medical bills and lost work, as well as compensation for your pain and suffering.