Spinal Cord Injury News

A collection of posts on news, information and resources for those with spinal cord injuries.

Neuroplast Announces Successful Clinical Phase I Trial with Neuro-Cells Stem Cell Treatment for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Dutch biotech company, Neuroplast, and the Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos de Toledo in Spain have announced positive clinical Phase I results after analysis of ten patients suffering from traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI), with data demonstrating that its investigational stem cell treatment, Neuro-Cells, appears to be safe and well tolerated, without product-related adverse events.

The treatment uses the patient’s own stem cells to prevent further loss of function after sustaining TSCI, in an effort to limit loss of mobility and independence of otherwise life-long impairment.

Posted in Clinical Trials and Studies, Research for a Cure, Therapies and Procedures on November 11th, 2021.

Drug Helps Sensory Neurons Regrow in the Mouse Central Nervous System

Targeting support cells with cholesterol drug could improve recovery after spinal cord injury

Neuroregeneration — Sensory neurons regrow more after injury when treated with the drug fenofibrate (lower panel) than when given a placebo (top panel; arrows indicate site of injury). Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that an FDA-approved drug acts on support cells in the central nervous system to encourage sensory neurons to regrow after injury.

A spinal cord injury damages the lines of communication between the body and brain, impeding the signals that drive movement and sensation. Injured motor and sensory neurons in the central nervous system — the brain and spinal cord — have limited ability to heal, so people who survive such injuries can be left with chronic paralysis, numbness and pain.

Posted in Research for a Cure on October 19th, 2021.

NeuroRegen Scaffold Transplantation Brings Hope to Spinal Cord Injury Patients

A joint group of Chinese scientists has recently confirmed the safety and preliminary effective of NeuroRegen Scaffold transplantation for spinal cord injury repair. Results were published in Science China Life Sciences.

Posted in Clinical Trials and Studies, Research for a Cure on September 10th, 2021.

High-Tech Exoskeletons Improve Bowel Function in People With Spinal Cord Injury

Digestive issues are common after spinal cord injury and can lead to chronic constipation and incontinence. But robotic exoskeleton-assisted walking can improve matters in people with such injuries, researchers say.

Posted in Assistive Technology, Therapies and Procedures on July 23rd, 2021.

‘Zombie Cells’ Hold Clues to Spinal Cord Injury Repair

A transversal cross-section of a mouse spinal cord. — The image represents a transversal cross-section of a mouse spinal cord. Neuronal cell bodies are represented in light blue delineating the butterfly shape characteristic of the gray matter, while glial projections are represented in orange-red. Credit: Diogo Paramos-de-Carvalho

Mammals have a poor ability to recover after a spinal cord injury which can result in paralysis. A main reason for this is the formation of a complex scar associated with chronic inflammation that produces a cellular microenvironment that blocks tissue repair. Now, a research team led by Leonor Saude, group leader at Instituto de Medicina Molecular Joao Lobo Antunes (iMM; Portugal) and Professor at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, have shown that the administration of drugs that target specific cellular components of this scar, improve functional recovery after injury. The results now published in the scientific journal Cell Reports* set the basis for a new promising therapeutic strategy not only for spinal cord injuries, but potentially for other organs that lack regenerative competence.

Posted in Research for a Cure on July 6th, 2021.

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