Posts Tagged ‘nerve regeneration’
New Technique May Help Severely Damaged Nerves Regrow and Restore Function
Posted on April 24th, 2012
Engineers at the University of Sheffield have developed a method of assisting nerves damaged by traumatic accidents to repair naturally, which could improve the chances of restoring sensation and movement in injured limbs.
In a collaborative study with Laser Zentrum Hannover (Germany) published April 23, 2012 in the journal Biofabrication, the team describes a new method for making medical devices called nerve guidance conduits or NGCs.
Read more of New Technique May Help Severely Damaged Nerves Regrow and Restore Function »
Young Aims for Spinal Injury ‘Cure’
Posted on March 7th, 2012
One of the world’s leading researchers into spinal cord injuries says China could hold the key to a cure that he has been searching for since he met late actor Christopher Reeve in the 1990s.
US-based Doctor Wise Young first used the word “cure” in relation to his work after a conversation with Reeve, the Superman hero who became a quadriplegic in an equestrian accident in 1995.
Read more of Young Aims for Spinal Injury ‘Cure’ »
Cancer Drug May Aid Nerve Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury
Posted on February 3rd, 2011
The cancer drug Taxol has the potential to assist nerve regeneration following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers.
The study, which has been published on the Sciencemag website, details how the drug can help in the regeneration of damaged cells in the central nervous system following a spinal cord injury.
Read more of Cancer Drug May Aid Nerve Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury »
Potential Spinal Cord Injury Treatments
Posted on August 24th, 2010
There have been several recent developments in the potential treatment of spinal cord injury. A group of researchers showed they were able to enhance the regeneration of nerve connections after spinal cord injury by deleting an enzyme called PTEN. The enzyme controls a molecular pathway called mTOR that is a key regulator of cell growth. During development, when nerve growth and connections occur, PTEN activity is low, allowing cell growth. When growth is completed, PTEN is turned on to inhibit cell growth. Controlled stimulation of cell growth is important for tissue regeneration. The scientists disabled PTEN in mice and were able to achieve nerve growth past a spinal cord lesion. The study published in Nature Neuroscience points to possible strategies to encourage a damaged spinal cord to sprout new neuron growth for repair.
Read more of Potential Spinal Cord Injury Treatments »
New Hope for Brain, Spinal Cord Injuries
Posted on December 14th, 2009
Deletion of key gene could help nerve fibers regenerate, researchers say
Deleting a gene that suppresses natural growth factors enables regeneration of injured nerve fibers (axons) in mice, a new study shows.
The finding may lead to new treatments for people with brain and spinal cord injuries.
Read more of New Hope for Brain, Spinal Cord Injuries »