Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

Jan. 28, 2013 Unlike the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system has an astonishing capacity for regeneration following injury. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Gttingen have discovered that, following nerve damage, peripheral glial cells produce the growth factor neuregulin1, which makes an important contribution to the regeneration of damaged nerves. From their cell bodies to their terminals in muscle or skin, neuronal extensions or axons in the peripheral nervous system are surrounded along their entire length by glial cells. These cells, which are known as Schwann cells, envelop the axons with an insulating sheath called myelin, which enables the rapid transmission of electrical impulses. Following injury to a peripheral nerve, the damaged axons degenerate. After a few weeks, however, they regenerate and are then recovered with myelin by the Schwann cells. For thus far unexplained reasons, however, the Schwann cells do not manage to regenerate the myelin sheaths completely. Thus the function of damaged nerves often remains permanently impaired and certain muscles remain paralysed in affected patients. In a current research study, the scientists have succeeded in showing that the growth factor neuregulin1 supports nerve repair and the redevelopment of the myelin layer. … Continue reading →

ROSEMONT, Ill., Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Currently there is no effective treatment used in clinical practice for patients with an injured spinal cord. However, a group of orthopaedic scientists have recently discovered that the administration of microRNA-210 could be an effective treatment for an injured spinal cord by promoting regeneration following injury. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/MM45506LOGO) Previously, microRNA-210 has been studied as an effective treatment for cancer and other diseases. Scientists noted that there was an absence of this particular gene in cancerous tumors, but it was found in abundance in healthy tissue. By delivering what was missing directly to the diseased tumor, scientists were able to stop the progression of the disease. Other scientists, however, noted that microRNA has the possibility to actually promote the growth of certain cancers. Dr. Satoshi Ujigo from Hiroshima University in Japan and his colleagues applied this same theory to injured spinal cords hoping for similar results. His work was recently presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society's (ORS) 2013 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas this January. Dr. Ujigo and his colleagues administrated miR-210 to a group of mice directly at the sight of the injured spinal cord. These mice, as well as those in … Continue reading →

Advertisement Feature British solicitor repeats call for greater SCI victim care after Lords AGM Spinal cord injuries are life-changers and the standard of treatment for sufferers in the UK has been described as unacceptable by one of the countrys most esteemed solicitors. John Spencer first spoke out against negligence in care for SCI victims during the summer of 2012. His concerns were ignited following an AGM at the House of Lords on the subject, where sufferers spoke of their post-injury struggles and revealed to Spencer just how low the level of care for SCI victims actually is in Britain today. Months down the line, a follow up meeting was held. This time, Spencers colleague and Chief Operating Officer, Allison OReilly attended in Johns absence and was equally moved by what she heard on the day particularly from one of the suffering speakers: Roger Hearn spoke about his injury sustained on a cricket tour in India. Like many others unable to afford the cost of private treatment, Mr Hearn was forced to live in a care home. He spoke of his experiences in the home, explaining how as soon as nursing staff were familiar with his needs, they could suddenly move … Continue reading →

Buy This Photo Alexandra Bedard and her father, Marc, attend Friday night's Texas Hold'em benefit for the York 23-year-old, who suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a 2011 motorcycle crash.Molly McPherson photo YORK, Maine The American Legion Post 56 was flush with nearly 50 serious Texas Hold'em poker players who were participating in a tournament to help raise funds for a young York mother's treatment for a serious spinal injury. Alexandra Bedard, 23, who was paralyzed in 2011 after she was involved in a motorcycle accident as a passenger, needs to eventually raise more than $100,000 to continue her therapy at Project Walk, a spinal cord injury recovery center in Carlsbad, Calif. Bedard spent 21 days at the center last December to evaluate her injuries and start her treatment plan; however, she was forced to return home prematurely due to lack of funds. By combining Friday night's proceeds with the $22,000 previously raised, Captain Gary Woods of the York Beach Fire Department said it would be possible for Bedard to continue her treatment as soon as February. Woods, a family friend who is leading the fund-raising efforts on behalf of the former York Beach Junior Firefighter, said it was … Continue reading →

TYNGSBORO (CBS) You can tell from high flying jumps on YouTube, 17-year-old Jack Trottier knows how to snowboard. Hes gone off 50-foot jumps. Something like this you never thought would happen. Its just an accident, his dad Bill Trottier said. He says last week his son was snowboarding with some friends at a neighbors house in Tyngsboro, when he went of a two-foot jump and landed the wrong way. He went off one of the jumps and lost his balance and came down on the side of his neck and shoulder, Bill said. Even though Jack was wearing his helmet, he suffered a severe spinal cord injury and is now paralyzed from the chest down. He cant move his legs or his arms, Bill said. Jack is now on his way to undergo intense therapy at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Its the same place where Norwood hockey player Matt Brown received treatment for his injury. Jack not only loved snowboarding, but he also was a star athlete at Tyngsboro High School. He was the starting quarterback as junior and led his team to a 10-2 record last season. He is our leader. He was the guy who had the … Continue reading →

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - On Wednesday, a bill inspired by two young Minnesota men is giving hope that those who can't walk due to spinal cord injuries by funding breakthrough research that could help them regain mobility. The Jablonski/Rodreick Spinal Cord and Traumatic Brain Injury Grant Program would allocate $4 million annually to publicly-funded research institutions, like the University of Minnesota. Jack Jablonski was injured while playing hockey, and his recovery has captivated many across the nation. The other name belongs to Gabe Rodreick, who calls himself the poster boy of spinal cord injuries. When he was 15, Rodreick was injured during a diving accident while on an exchange program in Costa Rica. He had his ups and downs, but he made a childhood dream come true last year. "I started writing music and realized that this injury, these complications, don't hold me back from what I love," he said. Now, spends six days a week inside is dad's homemade gym in Minneapolis. For an hour a day, he focuses on getting stronger in the hopes that one day, he will walk again. "I do believe a cure will come in my lifetime," he told FOX 9 News. He … Continue reading →

ARDSLEY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOR) today announced that the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC) has awarded the Company a $2.67 million research contract to support development of AC105, a propriety magnesium formulation being studied as a treatment for acute spinal cord injury (SCI). The contract will help support a Phase 2 clinical trial designed primarily to assess the safety and tolerability of AC105 in people with acute SCI. The Company plans to open enrollment for this study in the first half of 2013. Spinal cord injuries often result in severe, lifelong disability, and primarily occur in young people. This leads to long-term care and quality of life issues for the person with the injury, as well as for their family and the healthcare system as a whole, said Anthony Caggiano, M.D., Ph.D., Acordas Vice President of Research and Development. We are pleased to be collaborating with the U.S. Army on this project to determine if AC105 can improve outcomes in SCI. It is also a privilege for us to be working on a therapy that may help those who have been injured in the line of duty. In preclinical studies, AC105 demonstrated neuroprotective properties … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Neuromodulation Market [Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Gastric Electrical Stimulation (GES), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS), & Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)] Forecasts to 2017 http://www.reportlinker.com/p01083659/Neuromodulation-Market--%5BSpinal-Cord-Stimulation-SCS-Vagus-Nerve-Stimulation-VNS-Gastric-Electrical-Stimulation-GES-Deep-Brain-Stimulation-DBS-Sacral-Nerve-Stimulation-SNS--Transcranial-Magnetic-Stimulation-TMS%5D--Forecasts-to-2017 .html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=NoCategory Neuromodulation devices have emerged as one of the fastest growing segments of the medical device market due to high demand for minimally invasive and noninvasive treatment. With advancements in technology, neuromodulation is expected to become a promising therapeutic area and high growth industry in the next decade, as it offers symptomatic relief mainly from chronic pain, incontinence, heart failure, headache, depression, epilepsy, etc. The neuromodulation devices market includes deep brain stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, sacral nerve stimulation and others external stimulation devices such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). The neuromodulation technique acts directly upon nerves or the target area where the activity of nerves is altered due to biological responses produced by electrical stimulation or drug infusion. These devices include small electrodes that are attached to the brain, the spinal cord, or peripheral nerves. These precisely placed leads are connected by … Continue reading →

People with spinal cord injuries have reason to be more optimistic about recovery after the recent publication of new findings from an Ohio State professor. The experimental drug LM11A-31 was developed by Sung Ok Yoon, an associate professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry at OSU, along with co-author Frank Longo, professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University. This is the first oral drug to improve functional movement in rodents after a spinal cord injury without any additional means of therapy, such as an invasive procedure, Yoon said. Often invasive measures are used to treat spinal cord injuries, like drilling a hole in the brain to deliver the drug. Our goal was to find non-invasive therapy that could be taken orally or simply injected into the arm, Yoon said. A protein called p75 is linked to the death of specialized cells following a spinal cord injury. Yoon and Longos developmental drug targets this protein to prevent degeneration, Yoon said. Throughout the study, Yoon and her fellow researchers administered three different doses of the drug as well as a placebo to mice about four hours after injury. They continued this treatment twice a day for 42 days. During this time, … Continue reading →

By RTT News, January 14, 2013, 11:01:00 AM EDT (RTTNews.com) - Neuralstem Inc. ( CUR ) announced Monday that it received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or FDA to commence a Phase I safety trial of its lead cell therapy candidate, NSI-566, in chronic spinal cord injury patients. This open-label, multi-site study, will enroll up to eight patients with thoracic spinal cord injuries (T2-T12), who have an American Spinal Injury Association or AIS A level of impairment, between one and two years after injury. AIS A impairment refers to a patient with no motor or sensory function in the relevant segments at and below the injury, and is considered to be complete paralysis. The primary objective of the study is to determine the safety and toxicity of human spinal stem cell transplantation for the treatment of paralysis and related symptoms due to chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). The secondary objectives of the study are to evaluate graft survival in the transplant site by MRI, as well as the effectiveness of transient immunosuppression. Additionally, the study will look at exploratory objectives to evaluate the ability of human spinal cord stem cell or HSSC transplantation to positively affect … Continue reading →