Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cells survive and mature in the nonhuman primate brain

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have taken fibroblasts from the brains of rhesus monkeys with Parkinsons, then reprogrammed these into induced pluripotent stem cells. These were then encouraged to grow into neural progenitors before being transplanted back into the…

Use of mild hypothermia found to improve outcomes in acute spinal cord injury

Researchers at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis have published six-year findings in the use of mild hyperthermia to treat new spinal cord injuries. 35 patients with cervical spinal cord injury – the most serious form of spinal cord injury…

FES cycling promotes recovery in chronic spinal cord injury

A new study by Kennedy Krieger Institute’s International Center for Spinal Cord Injury finds that long-term functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling is associated with substantial improvements in people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Improvements include neurological and functional gains,…

InVivo request green light to begin clinical trial using their biopolymer scaffold

InVivo Therapeutics has submitted an updated Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting permission to begin human studies in order to test its biopolymer scaffolding for the treatment of acute SCI. “We intend to…

Courtine's electrical stimulation therapy that enabled paralysed rats to walk again will be tested on humans within months

In June we were excited about research from Gregoire Courtine’s lab in Switzerland, which demonstrated full recovery of rats with SCI after a drug cocktail was coupled with electrical stimulation of the spinal cord below the level of injury. After two…

StemCells, Inc. announces results of spinal cord injury trial – gains in sensory function persist 12 months after stem cell transplant

StemCells Inc. have announced the 12-month results of their initial Phase I safety trial of purified human neural stem cells for chronic spinal cord injury. The sensory improvements reported at 6-months have persisted and not adverse effects have be seen.…

Reflex control could improve walking after incomplete spinal injuries

A training regimen to adjust the body’s motor reflexes may help improve mobility for some people with incomplete spinal cord injuries, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health. During training, the participants were instructed to suppress…

Cancer drug could be effective in treating SCI

A group of orthopaedic scientists have recently discovered that the administration of microRNA-210 could be an effective treatment for an injured spinal cord by promoting regeneration following injury. Previously, microRNA-210 has been studied as an effective treatment for cancer and…

Leprosy bug turns adult cells into stem cells

Leprosy bacteria can reprogram cells to revert to a stem-cell-like state, able to mature into different cell types. The scientists stumbled on the discovery while researching the way leprosy spreads around the body. The mechanism of the hijacking is unclear,…

The dream of popping a pill to cure SCI is one step closer!

Researchers have developed a drug which, when taken orally, prevents the death of oligodendrocytes – the cells that insulate axons. When given to laboratory mice shortly after a spinal cord injury, the drug restored the animals’ mobility. Read more…