Regenerated Nerve Cells Let Rats Walk Again

SteamyMobile writes "Paralysis by spinal cord injuries through accidents must be one of the most horrible life-altering experiences imaginable, often affecting young, active people, and so far there has been no effective treatment of it. Researchers at the Miami School of Medicine have found a therapy involving regenerating nerve cells to cross the gap in the spinal cord. 70% of rats could walk again after the therapy. Hopefully this could benefit Christopher Reeves and thousands of others who have had their lives changed so much by spinal injuries."

Comments

Re:WTF? Only Hot People Apply?

[jgaynor]

...often affecting young, active people...

Actually Im a big dork and sustained a fairly dork-related injury which this could help. During finals of my senior year I stressed myself out so badly that I incurred the wrath of Ramsey-Hunt syndrome - think of it like chicken pox in your brain. It cuts off the cranial facial nerve and paralyzes one side of your face. The nerve regrows but is almost never 100% again. Id love to get this fixed so my smile won't be so f*ed up anymore. I only hope when this technology hits the open market it's not tens of thousands of dollars and will work on non-spinal nerves.

Re:biotechnology vs. bioethics, by a quadriplegic

[ScriptGuru]

This is far different from the stem cell research sung about. This is taking healthy Schwann cells from peripheral nerves which regrow which can be taken from the same animal. I don't see how there is really any ethical problem here.

chistopher reeve is screwed

[maddh]

I saw some spinal injury expert interview on the news a while ago when the stem cell controversy was bigger and christopher reeves had that commercial where special effects made him stand up. The expert said that when the spinal cord is severed, after a certain period of time the spinal cord below the cut turns to mush cause it doesn't get used. basically saying that people with old injuries were screwed and the best medicine could hope for is treating people right after the injury. So while these rats have only a .1 mm gap to regenerate, christopher reeve could very well have 3 feet of spinal mush along with peripheral nerves that would need regeneration.

But then again he wiggled a toe and breathes on his own now so i might be wrong.

Re:WTF? Only Hot People Apply?

[DiscoOnTheSide]

Wow Jon. I'm 110% serious when I say I never noticed it in the two years I've been working at ResNet with you (this is A.J.)... See you at work sometime...

Re:Superman no walkie

[DigiShaman]

So why not cut thin slices of cord on both ends of the broken cord? I would think newly exposed spinal cord would help jumpstart the ability to be treated once again.