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Researchers have developed an improved version of an enzyme that degrades the dense scar tissue formed after spinal injury.

By digesting the tissue that blocks re-growth of damaged nerves, the improved enzyme - and new system for delivering it - could facilitate recovery from serious central nervous system injuries, according to a paper published yesterday (November 2nd) in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

To fully degrade scar tissue, the enzyme chrondroitinase ABC (chABC) must be supplied to the damaged area for at least two weeks following injury.

However, the enzyme was found to function poorly at body temperature and must, therefore, be repeatedly injected or infused into the body.

The paper describes how the researchers eliminated the thermal sensitivity of chABC and developed a delivery system that allowed the enzyme to be active for weeks without implanted catheters and pumps.

"This research has made digesting scar [tissue] clinically viable by obviating the need for continuous injection of chABC by thermally stabilising the enzyme and harnessing bioengineered drug delivery systems," said the paper's lead author Ravi Bellamkonda.

Yesterday it was reported that Geron Corporation has been given clearance by the Food and Drug Administration to continue the world's first human clinical trial of a hESC-based therapy: GRNOPC1 for acute spinal cord injury.

news from Serious Law, specialist spinal injury lawyers.

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