A new approach to finding Cures: The CPN Challenge plans to award almost $20m worth of awards and prizes over the next 10 years with a $10m Grand Prize awarded to the first team that reaches unprecedented improvement in every…
Category: Research (page 22)
Phase 1/2a stem cell trial for acute spinal cord injury begins
Asterias Biotherapeutics has initiated patient enrolment for its Phase 1/2a clinical trial of AST-OPC1 stem cells for treating newly injured people with complete cervical spinal cord injury. “The Phase 1 study generated a strong package of data regarding the safety of AST-OPC1,” said…
Clinical trial testing autologous human Schwann cell transplantation for chronic SCI is open for enrollment:
Miami Project to Cure Paralysis: This trial is an FDA-approved Phase I clinical trial designed to test the safety of autologous human Schwann cells in participants with chronic spinal cord injury receiving rehabilitation.A total of 10 participants will be enrolled in…
Miami Project Schwann Trial for Chronic SCI Begins Enrollment for 10 people
This new trial will be primarily focused on safety, but in addition it will involve a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of combining Schwann cells with exercise and rehabilitation. They only have FDA approval to transplant a maximum of 10 people…
Review of preclinical studies and evaluation of clinical trials from Phase I to II
Investigational drugs for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Efforts in basic research have clarified mechanisms involved in spinal cord injury (SCI), and resulted in positive findings using experimental treatments including cell transplantation and drug administration preclinically. Based on accumulated…
Scientists discover how a 'mini-brain' in the spinal cord aids in balance
Walking across an icy parking lot in winter—and remaining upright—takes intense concentration. But a new discovery suggests that much of the balancing act that our bodies perform when faced with such a task happens unconsciously, thanks to a cluster of…
Dr Chet Moritz talks on latest in neural stimulation to restore function in SCI
Dr. Chet Moritz from the University of Washington Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physiology and Biology discusses strategies for restoring voluntary control of arm or leg movement via neural devices that both record from and stimulate the central nervous system.…
Higher dementia risk linked to Ditropan & common drugs
A large study links a significantly increased risk for developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, to taking commonly used medications with anticholinergic effects at higher doses or for a longer time. The drugs include oxybutynin (Ditropan) – commonly used by people with…
Valentine's Day flowers
The above image provides a snapshot of neural precursor cells (pink and yellow) in a mouse embryo that will mature into different types of spinal cord neurons (blue), depending on the signals they receive. By studying the molecular instructions that…
Unproven stem cell treatments are increasingly being offered in Australia
Once thought to be a problem only in poorly regulated jurisdictions overseas, unproven stem cell treatments are increasingly being offered in Australia. Now, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is holding a public consultation on whether current regulation of treatments that involve using the…