Spinal cord injury treatments 'could be based on inflammatory response'RSS Feed

23 October 2009

Dealing with inflammatory responses to spinal cord injuries could be the key to reducing pain, it has been suggested.

Researchers at the Ohio State University found, rather than heal the would, cells that attend to the back ailment can sometimes cause more harm that good.

They have speculated that injecting medication or offering tablets to patients to battle this reaction could form a key component of their initial care.

Scientists performed the tests on mice and discovered certain reactions could stop a spinal cord injury from healing.

Professor of neuroscience and molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics Phillip Popovich remarked: "I've always been of the mind that if nature requires these cells to be there, we must figure out if it's advantageous or disadvantageous for spinal cord function."

The author of the report added should it be the latter, this presents a conundrum for scientists as they would then face the challenge of working out how to alter the cells' behaviour without removing them.

Earlier this year, the St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre and Barrow Neurological Institute looked into how natural hydrogels could be a useful treatment for spinal cord injuries in the future.

Serious Law, leading spinal cord injury solicitors ADNFCR-2547-ID-19423880-ADNFCR