Researchers find ways to encourage spinal cord regeneration after injuryOctober 21, 2009Animal studies suggest new protocols for helping human spinal cord injury patients CHICAGO - Animal research is suggesting new ways to aid recovery after spinal cord injury. New studies demonstrate that diet affects recovery rate and show how to make stem cell therapies safer for spinal injury patients. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health. In other animal studies, researchers identified molecules that encourage spinal cord regeneration and ways to block molecules that discourage it. The findings may help shape therapies for the more than one million people in North America who have spinal cord injuries. Research released today shows that: * A diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates speeds recovery in rats with spinal cord injuries. The study suggests that dietary content may affect spinal cord injury recovery rates in people (Wolfram Tetzlaff, MD, PhD, abstract 542.10, see attached summary). * In animal studies, stem cell implants pre-screened for "unsafe" immature cells helped repair injured spinal cords without dangerous side effects, like tumor formation. The findings suggest best practices for human stem cell therapies (Masaya Nakamura, MD, PhD, abstract 642.14, see attached summary). Other findings discussed at the meeting show that: * Researchers are discovering how to encourage the spinal cord to regenerate and form functional connections after injury. Growth factors, enzymes, and molecular tools show promising results in animal models (Eric Frank, PhD, see attached speaker's summary). "Some injuries harm nerve cells, but the brain often recovers from stress, damage, or disease," said press conference moderator Oswald Steward, PhD, of the University of California, Irvine, an expert on spinal cord injury and synaptic plasticity. "We are learning a great deal about how to encou Society for Neuroscience |
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| Related Spinal Cord Injury Current Events and Spinal Cord Injury News Articles UCI embryonic stem cell therapy restores walking ability in rats with neck injuries The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical trial to include people with cervical damage. Findings show nanomedicine promising for treating spinal cord injuries Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a new approach for repairing damaged nerve fibers in spinal cord injuries using nano-spheres that could be injected into the blood shortly after an accident. Researchers explore new ways to prevent spinal cord damage using a vitamin B3 precursor Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College. A recent $2.5 million grant from the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Board will fund their research investigating this possibility. Master regulator found for regenerating nerve fibers in live animals Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report that an enzyme known as Mst3b, previously identified in their lab, is essential for regenerating damaged axons (nerve fibers) in a live animal model, in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. University of Louisville neuroscientists hope to get people walking again Neuroscience researchers at the University of Louisville will be the only team collaborating with an international group of scientists that last week announced they had enabled paralyzed rats to walk while supporting their own weight. UCLA scientists make paralyzed rats walk again after spinal-cord injury UCLA researchers have discovered that a combination of drugs, electrical stimulation and regular exercise can enable paralyzed rats to walk and even run again while supporting their full weight on a treadmill. arrow researcher finds natural hydrogel helps heal spinal cord Research led by a scientist at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center has shown injecting biomaterial gel into a spinal cord injury site provides significantly improved healing. UCSF researchers program cells to be remote-controlled by light UCSF researchers have genetically encoded mouse cells to respond to light, creating cells that can be trained to follow a light beam or stop on command like microscopic robots. Flips, flops and cartwheels Geckos and other lizards have long been known for their incredible ability to shed their tails as a decoy for predators, but little is known about the movements and what controls the tail once it separates from the lizard's body. ADA publishes practice guidelines for nutrition care for patients with spinal cord injury The American Dietetic Association has published new evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines for registered dietitians on nutrition care for patients with spinal cord injury. More Spinal Cord Injury Current Events and Spinal Cord Injury News Articles |
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