Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

Award to Fund IND-Enabling Activities for the Company's HuCNS-SC(R) Neural Stem Cells in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Decision on Funding Alzheimer's Program Deferred to CIRM's September Board Meeting NEWARK, Calif., July 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM) today announced that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has approved an award to the Company and its collaborators for up to $20 million under CIRM's Disease Team Therapy Development Award program (RFA 10-05). The award is to fund preclinical development of StemCells' proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) as a potential treatment for cervical spinal cord injury. The award will provide funding over a maximum four-year period, with the goal of filing an investigational new drug (IND) application to begin clinical testing in that time. CIRM deferred a decision on the Alzheimer's disease application submitted by StemCells and referred the application back to CIRM's Grants Working Group for further consideration. CIRM is expected to review the application again at the next meeting of its governing board currently scheduled for September 6th. "We understand that this was a very competitive process and we are extremely grateful to CIRM for its support," commented Martin McGlynn, President and CEO … Continue reading →

Human Stem Cells Found to Restore Memory StemCells Inc. hopes a clinical trial of its proprietary stem cells in rodents will lead to a clinical trial with Alzheimer's patients. Neurosphere: StemCells is testing neuronal stem cells, which form floating aggregates when grown in culture, as a treatment for Alzheimers disease, spinal cord injury, and other neurological conditions. StemCells Inc. Last week, a California biotech company announced that its human stem cells restored memory in rodents bred to have an Alzheimer's-like conditionthe first evidence that human neural stem cells can improve memory. The company, called StemCells, is betting that its proprietary preparation of stem cells from fetal brain tissue will take on many different roles in the central nervous system. The company and its collaborators have already shown that its stem-cell product has potential in protecting vision in diseased eyes, acting as brain support cells, or improving walking ability in rodents with spinal cord injury. This metamorphic ability is not so surprisingthey are stem cells, after all. But experts say the quality of scientists involved in StemCells and the interesting properties of its cells sets the company apart. "They've really been steadfast in their work to get these cells into clinical … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and neurotrauma, today announced that CEO Frank Reynolds is scheduled to appear on BloombergTVs Taking Stock with Pimm Fox on Tuesday, July 24th at approximately 5:30pm EDT. Taking Stock with Pimm Fox is a weekday program that airs from 5:00pm to 6:00pm EDT. InVivo Therapeutics has pioneered a new treatment using a biocompatible polymer-based scaffold to provide structural support to a damaged spinal cord. The device sparesspinal cordtissue from scarring while improving functional recovery after a traumatic SCI. In addition to the scaffold and its application for acute and chronic SCI, Reynolds will discuss new hydrogel technologies under development by InVivo. Our technology is a true platform that can be leveraged to create many neurotrauma products. InVivo is developing technologies to treat chronic injuries, as well as therapies for other nervous system conditions such as chronic pain due to nerve compression and other peripheral nerve injuries. Were currently under review at FDA for our first SCI treatment, and we look forward to receiving approval to begin those human studies in 2012, said Reynolds. About InVivo Therapeutics InVivo Therapeutics Holdings … Continue reading →

Musical Glove Improves Sensation, Mobility for People with Spinal Cord Injury Georgia Tech researchers have created a wireless, musical glove that may improve sensation and motor skills for people with paralyzing spinal cord injury (SCI). The gadget was successfully used by individuals with limited feeling or movement in their hands due to tetraplegia. These individuals had sustained their injury more than a year before the study, a time frame when most rehab patients see very little improvement for the remainder of their lives. Remarkably, the device was primarily used while the participants were going about their daily routines. The device is called Mobile Music Touch (MMT). The glove, which looks like a workout glove with a small box on the back, is used with a piano keyboard and vibrates a person's fingers to indicate which keys to play. While learning to play the instrument, several people with SCI experienced improved sensation in their fingers. Researchers at Georgia Tech and Atlanta's Shepherd Center recently completed a study focusing on people with weakness and sensory loss due to SCI. "After our preliminary work in 2011, we suspected that the glove would have positive results for people with SCI," said Ph.D. graduate Tanya … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (July 17, 2012) Georgia Tech researchers have created a wireless, musical glove that may improve sensation and motor skills for people with paralyzing spinal cord injury (SCI). The gadget was successfully used by individuals with limited feeling or movement in their hands due to tetraplegia. These individuals had sustained their injury more than a year before the study, a time frame when most rehab patients see very little improvement for the remainder of their lives. Remarkably, the device was primarily used while the participants were going about their daily routines. The device is called Mobile Music Touch (MMT). The glove, which looks like a workout glove with a small box on the back, is used with a piano keyboard and vibrates a persons fingers to indicate which keys to play. While learning to play the instrument, several people with SCI experienced improved sensation in their fingers. Researchers at Georgia Tech and Atlantas Shepherd Center recently completed a study focusing on people with weakness and sensory loss due to SCI. After our preliminary work in 2011, we suspected that the glove would have positive results for people with SCI, said Ph.D. graduate Tanya Markow, the projects leader. But we were … Continue reading →

Protocol may open new avenues for cell-replacement therapies for neurological conditions Newswise LA JOLLA, CA----For more than 20 years, doctors have been using cells from blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after childbirth to treat a variety of illnesses, from cancer and immune disorders to blood and metabolic diseases. Now, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found a new way-using a single protein, known as a transcription factor-to convert cord blood (CB) cells into neuron-like cells that may prove valuable for the treatment of a wide range of neurological conditions, including stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. The researchers demonstrated that these CB cells, which come from the mesoderm, the middle layer of embryonic germ cells, can be switched to ectodermal cells, outer layer cells from which brain, spinal and nerve cells arise. "This study shows for the first time the direct conversion of a pure population of human cord blood cells into cells of neuronal lineage by the forced expression of a single transcription factor," says Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory, who led the research team. The study, a collaboration with Fred H. Gage, a … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4xw677/acute_spinal_cord) has announced the addition of GlobalData's new report "Acute Spinal Cord Injury (ASCI) Therapeutics - Pipeline Assessment and Market Forecasts to 2019" to their offering. Pharmaceutical Research into Spinal Cord Injuries Will Stretch into Next Decade Drugs under development to treat those affected by acute spinal cord injuries are not expected to emerge within the current decade, leaving the market largely open to new entrants, according to a new report issued by pharmaceuticals intelligence provider GlobalData. The new report* shows that there have been no treatment options approved for Acute Spinal Cord Injury (ASCI) by either the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA), so off-label generic drugs dominate the market. Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) refers to damage to the spinal cord which results in the loss of mobility and feeling. SCI usually occurs due to a sudden traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae, caused by injuries involving the head, pelvic fractures, penetrating injuries close to the spine, or injuries caused by a fall from a significant height. The classification of SCI into acute and chronic phases is based on the period of time the patient … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and neurotrauma, today announced that CEO Frank Reynolds is scheduled to appear on the Fox Business Networks program Markets Now on Friday, July 13th at approximately 12:40pm EDT. Markets Now is a highly rated business network program that airs weekdays from 11:00am to 3:00pm EDT. InVivo Therapeutics has pioneered a new treatment using a biocompatible polymer-based scaffold to provide structural support to a damaged spinal cord. The device sparesspinal cordtissue from scarring while improving functional recovery after a traumatic SCI. In addition to the scaffold and its application for acute and chronic SCI, Reynolds will discuss new hydrogel technologies under development by InVivo. Our technology is a true platform that can be leveraged to create many neurotrauma products. InVivo is developing technologies to treat chronic injuries, as well as therapies for other nervous system conditions such as chronic pain due to nerve compression and other peripheral nerve injuries. Were currently under review at FDA for our first SCI treatment, and we look forward to receiving approval to begin those human studies in 2012, said Reynolds. About InVivo Therapeutics InVivo … Continue reading →

"Janne's Next Step" is a Unique Documentary that Chronicles a Man's Fight to Walk Again After a Devastating Spinal Cord Injury WASHINGTON, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "The basis of Locomotor Training is the discovery that the spinal cord has a complicated circuitry that can control locomotor," said Dr. V. Reggie Edgerton, Distinguished Professor of Integrative Biology and Physiology and of Neurology at UCLA. "Our research has proven that the spinal cord can actually re-learn how to walk after a spinal cord injury, without input from the brain." After Janne Kouri suffered a tragic diving accident that nearly cost him his life, he was told he would never walk again. He underwent an experimental activity-based rehabilitation treatment called Locomotor Training that was developed by Dr. Reggie Edgerton (UCLA) and Dr. Susan Harkema (University of Louisville) in partnership with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Locomotor Training re-teaches the spinal cord how to control motor functions, like walking, through repetitive motion. It was developed and perfected with the help of lab animals and brave people, like Janne. After months of intensive training, Janne began to regain function in his feet, then in his legs, and today Janne can take steps with … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI), today announced that Frank Reynolds, InVivo Therapeutics Chief Executive Officer, will present at the OneMedForum Conference at 1:30 pm EST on July 12th in New York City at the Metropolitan Club in the Morton Room. A live webcast of this presentation will be available at http://www.onemedplace.com/forum/. For full event details and registration information, please visit http://www.onemedplace.com/forum/. About OneMedForum OneMedPlace Trans-Atlantic Conference is the definitive conference in North America for fast-growing and emerging healthcare and life sciences companies. The 3rd annual New York Conference will bring together these emerging companies with venture and strategic investors within a unique networking and educational forum. Thought leaders in the disruptive technologies space across a variety of healthcare divisions will present both strategic insights and investment ideas to an international audience of the industrys movers and shakers. This year, OneMedPlace explores the exciting investment opportunities, challenges and forward looking strategies in four sectors on the cusp of significant change: - Diagnostics - Health Information - Oncology - Regenerative Medicine. The OneMedForum NY was recognized by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as an important event supporting … Continue reading →