Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE MKT: CUR) announced that its neural stem cells were part of a study, "Long-Distance Growth and Connectivity of Neural Stem Cells After Severe Spinal Cord Injury: Cell-Intrinsic Mechanisms Overcome Spinal Inhibition," published online today in a leading scientific journal CELL (http://www.cell.com/current). In the study, rats with surgically transected spinal cords, which rendered them permanently and completely paraplegic, were transplanted with Neuralstem's spinal cord stem cells (NSI-566). The study reports that the animals recovered significant locomotor function, regaining movement in all lower extremity joints, and that the transplanted neural stem cells turned into neurons which grew a "remarkable" number of axons that extended for "very long distances" over 17 spinal segments, making connections both above and below the point of severance. These axons reached up to the cervical region (C4) and down to the lumbar region (L1). They also appeared to make reciprocal synaptic connectivity with the host rat spinal cord neurons in the gray matter for several segments below the injury. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20061221/DCTH007LOGO ) Further study showed that re-transecting the spinal cord immediately above the graft abolished the functional gain, indicating that the regeneration of host axons into the human stem … Continue reading →

Marc Buoniconti knows first-hand the pain a spinal cord injury can cause. In 1985, as a linebacker for The Citadel, he suffered a cervical spine injury like Tulane's Devon Walker did last weekend against Tulsa. Buoniconti said he saw Walker's injury and believes he can recover. "I saw the play. His arms and legs did not go limp," said Buoniconti, who was paralyzed from the shoulders down and spent the seven months after his injury on a respirator."So I feel that if he has an incomplete injury that his chance of recovery can dramatically increase." An incomplete motor injury, according to Dr. T. George Hornby, a research scientist/physical therapist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, occurs when a patient with a spinal cord injury has "some volitional muscle activity that could lead to greater potential for recovery utilizing their legs and arms." Buoniconti co-founded the Miami Project with his father, Nick, and Dr. Barth Green, and they've joined forces for the past 27 yearsto tirelessly explore research into treatment for spinal cord injuries like heand Walker suffered. One of those is "modest hypothermia," a method of lowering the body temperature to cool the spinal cord. Buoniconti said the hypothermia treatment … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (OTC/BB: NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and neurotrauma, today announced several business updates. The highlights are being provided in connection with the Companys presentation today at the 14th Annual Rodman and Renshaw Healthcare Conference at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Highlights include: About InVivo Therapeutics InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. is utilizing polymers as a platform technology to develop treatments to improve function in individuals paralyzed from traumatic spinal cord injuries. The company was founded in 2005 based on proprietary technology co-invented by Robert S. Langer, ScD. Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Joseph P. Vacanti, M.D., who is affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2011, the company earned the prestigious 2011 David F. Apple Award from the American Spinal Injury Association for its outstanding contribution to spinal cord injury medicine. The publicly traded company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. For more details, visit http://www.invivotherapeutics.com. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (OTC/BB: NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for thetreatment of spinal cord injuries(SCI) and neurotrauma conditions, today announced that Arthur J. Coury, PhD, has joined the company as an advisor to the CEO. Dr. Courys focus on polymeric biomaterials for medical products such as implantable devices, hydrogel-based devices and drug delivery systems will bring critical expertise to InVivo as the company awaits approval to begin human studies. Dr. Courys experience and leadership has led to FDA approval of multiple hydrogel products, and has been drawn from his positions as Senior Research Chemist at General Mills, Inc.; Director, Polymer Technology and Research Fellow at Medtronic, Inc.; Vice President, Research and Chief Scientific Officer at Focal, Inc.; Vice President, Biomaterials Research at Genzyme Corporation; and most recently, his work as a consultant. Dr. Coury holds over fifty distinct patents and has published and presented widely in the field of biomaterials. In addition, Dr. Courys professional service to his field includes serving as Chair of the Minnesota Section of the American Chemical Society; as President for the Society for Biomaterials, USA; and as President for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). His recent … Continue reading →

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio (KDKA) Its not just a walk in the park for Cindy Vincent of East Liverpool, Ohio. Three and a half years ago, she was suffered a spinal cord injury in a major fall. I was helping someone in their garage, and I was up in the rafters and I fell through the rafters, said Vincent. So, it was 10 feet and I landed on concrete. She was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. They did a couple surgeries. It was a spinal cord injury, said Vincent. At the very beginning, they werent sure that I would walk at all. Two months in hospitals and years of rehab and loving support from family members gave Vincent the strength to walk a little further each day. Beaver Creek State Park near her home became her training ground. There was one time when I said to my sister, I dont know why Im doing this, because it was so hard, Vincent said. On March 7, I did an eighth of a mile, which was unbelievable. And finally, in July, I reached three miles. Nearly five kilometers, just in time for Saturdays UPMC UrgentCares 5K walk on the Montour Trail … Continue reading →

It was supposed to be one of the best weekends of his life. While in Florida to attend the 2010 Superbowl, Anthony Purcell was enjoying a morning at a Miami beach in waters he had grown up in as a child before moving to California. At 22, the part-time model and student and former high school sports star had his whole life ahead of him. Micki Purcell and son Anthony, before his spinal cord injury accident deemed him paralyzed. PHOTO COURTESY WALKING WITH ANTHONY ADVERTISEMENT But in a life-changing second, Anthony accidentally dove into a sandbar, breaking his neck and bruising his C5 and C6 vertebrae. Luckily, his cousin Bernie pulled him ashore and quickly got him the necessary medical attention that would save his life. But after a four-hour surgery and only three weeks in the hospital, Anthony was released with the dismal prognosis given to so many with spinal cord injury (SCI): Anthony was told he'd never walk again. When it comes to SCIs, most insurance companies find the rehabilitation prospects too grim and costly. But Anthonys mother, Micki Purcell, was not one to simply accept the bad news, and luckily, she had the finances to explore other … Continue reading →

Two patients in one of the worlds first tests of a stem-cell treatment for spinal-cord injury have reported feeling sensation in parts of their bodies below the injury where they felt no sensation before. The two patients, whose identity and gender were kept confidential, are part of a trial in Switzerland of a treatment developed by a team that included UC Irvine researchers. UC Irvine husband-wife researchers Brian Cummings and Aileen Anderson pose with their daughter, Camryn, and their dogs. FILE PHOTO: MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER ADVERTISEMENT A third patient reported no improvement in sensation, but, like the others, has suffered no ill effects from the treatment. All three patients had suffered spinal-cord injuries at the chest level that left them with no feeling below the site of the injury. Two of them, however, reported feeling touch and warmth down to their belly-button region after receiving injections of 20 million human neural stem cells at the injury site. Scientists involved in the trial did not say how long it took for the patients to feel sensation after their injections, though they did say the patients improved over a six-month period. The stem-cell treatment was developed by the UCI … Continue reading →

Knut Olstad, who is paralyzed from the waist down, said he was able to regain some feeling after participating in a stem cell trial. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- As the sun rose over France on August 13, 2011, Knut Olstad was looking forward to continuing his bicycle journey along the Tour de France route. But by the end of the day, the vacation had taken a terrible turn that would change his life. The 46-year-old financial consultant from Norway doesn't remember much about the accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. He was shown pictures of himself lying on the ground with a broken back after being catapulted from his bike while trying to avoid a collision with a car. After his initial recovery, Olstad searched the Internet for information that might get him out of the wheelchair he now uses to move around. This is how he found a clinical trial conducted by StemCells Inc. at Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. The company was looking for 12 recently paralyzed patients for a study of its product: purified human neural stems cells derived from donated fetal brain tissue. The company was looking to see whether the cells … Continue reading →

Knut Olstad, who is paralyzed from the waist down, said he was able to regain some feeling after participating in a stem cell trial. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- As the sun rose over France on August 13, 2011, Knut Olstad was looking forward to continuing his bicycle journey along the Tour de France route. But by the end of the day, the vacation had taken a terrible turn that would change his life. The 46-year-old financial consultant from Norway doesn't remember much about the accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. He was shown pictures of himself lying on the ground with a broken back after being catapulted from his bike while trying to avoid a collision with a car. After his initial recovery, Olstad searched the Internet for information that might get him out of the wheelchair he now uses to move around. This is how he found a clinical trial conducted by StemCells Inc. at Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. The company was looking for 12 recently paralyzed patients for a study of its product: purified human neural stems cells derived from donated fetal brain tissue. The company was looking to see whether the cells … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Sep. 5, 2012) Preliminary research findings have been released from a clinical study of the wearable robotic exoskeletal device, Ekso (Ekso Bionics). Initial results are promising for the potential application of Ekso-assisted walking in rehabilitation, in exercise/wellness programs, in the community and for home use. Kessler Foundation has released preliminary research findings from its clinical study of the wearable robotic exoskeletal device, Ekso (Ekso Bionics). Gail Forrest, PhD, assistant director of Human Performance and Engineering Research, presented the Ekso research data on September 3, at the meeting of the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals at the Rio Suites in Las Vegas. Dr. Forrest directs mobility research at the Foundation, including activity-based locomotor therapy, functional electrical stimulation, and treadmill training with the LokomatPro v6, as well as Ekso. Her research focuses on new ways to improve function and restore mobility for people with disabilities and reduce their long-term risks for complications. Ekso, has been undergoing clinical investigation in patients with spinal cord injury at Kessler since October 2011, when the research team received the second commercial unit distributed by Ekso Bionics. "Our initial research results are promising for the potential application of Ekso-assisted walking in rehabilitation, in exercise/wellness programs, … Continue reading →