New hope for spinal cord injury sufferersRSS Feed

Adult neurons can still regenerate as long as 15 months after a spinal cord injury, according to new research.

A study, published by Cell Press in the October 29th issue of the journal Neuron, highlights the success of a strategy that targets multiple environmental and intrinsic obstacles known to limit nervous system plasticity and regeneration.

Senior study author Dr Mark H Tuszynski from the University of California, San Diego said: "Our results demonstrate that axonal regeneration in the adult central nervous system could be induced at unprecedented post-injury time points when experimental treatments modified the intrinsic growth state of the neurons and the non-permissive injury environment."

He added that the "ultimate goal" is to provide "rational, safe therapies that may improve the quality of life of humans with devastating spinal cord injuries".

According to the Spinal Injury Network, spinal cord injury (SCI) has many causes and the resulting disability can take many forms. SCI is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling and is frequently caused by trauma or disease.

Serious Law, leading spinal cord injury solicitors.

Pioneering back surgery cures woman's paralysis

29 October 2009

A woman paralysed after sneezing can now walk again thanks to pioneering back surgery, which corrected her spinal injury.Victoria Kenny, a solicitor from Chichester, was watching television when she sneezed...

Read More...

3.9m given to spinal cord injury research

28 October 2009

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) researcher, James Krause, has been given more than $3.9 million (£2.4 million) for research into the prediction and prevention of life-threatening secondary...

Read More...

Spinal injury surgery improved with x-ray based navigation

27 October 2009

Ziehm Imaging and BrainLAB have extended their cooperation to assist surgeons in the intra-operative guidance of pedicle screw and hardware placement during surgical trauma and spinal instrumentation procedures....

Read More...