Spinal Cord Injury News and Research RSS Feed - Spinal Cord Injury News and Research

A spinal cord injury usually begins with a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae. The damage begins at the moment of injury when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. Most injuries to the spinal cord don't completely sever it. Instead, an injury is more likely to cause fractures and compression of the vertebrae, which then crush and destroy the axons, extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. An injury to the spinal cord can damage a few, many, or almost all of these axons. Some injuries will allow almost complete recovery. Others will result in complete paralysis.
New prototype allows patients with severe functional disability to be more active and independent

New prototype allows patients with severe functional disability to be more active and independent

The European R&D project BrainAble, led by Barcelona Digital, has just successfully ended by developing a prototype that allows patients with severe functional disability to be more active and independent. [More]

InVivo Therapeutics to sponsor Working 2 Walk symposium

InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp., a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries and other neurotrauma conditions, today announced that the Company is the Title Sponsor of the 8th annual Working 2 Walk Science & Advocacy Symposium taking place September 27-28, 2013 at the Boston Convention & Exhibit Center in Boston, MA. [More]
American Association for Respiratory Care names Jefferson a Quality Respiratory Care Institution

American Association for Respiratory Care names Jefferson a Quality Respiratory Care Institution

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital was recently bestowed the title of "Quality Respiratory Care Institution" for 2013 by the American Association for Respiratory Care. [More]

Symposium examines racial and ethnic health disparities on cancer care

Third-year residents in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have organized a symposium examining racial and ethnic health disparities, with a focus on cancer care. The program will feature a keynote speech from Otis Brawley, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society. [More]
TGen joins Riddell to advance athlete concussion detection and treatment

TGen joins Riddell to advance athlete concussion detection and treatment

Head protection plays a vital role in the health and safety of any athlete participating in helmeted sports. In a move that could help revolutionize football player safety, the Translational Genomics Research Institute, and Easton-Bell Sports through its Riddell brand, announced today it would work together on a study designed to advance athlete concussion detection and treatment. [More]
Discovery may lead to new treatment for neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative disorders

Discovery may lead to new treatment for neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative disorders

A key type of human brain cell developed in the laboratory grows seamlessly when transplanted into the brains of mice, UC San Francisco researchers have discovered, raising hope that these cells might one day be used to treat people with Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and possibly even Alzheimer's disease, as well as and complications of spinal cord injury such as chronic pain and spasticity. [More]
Researchers find that VEGF may not have any prognostic value for advanced prostate cancer

Researchers find that VEGF may not have any prognostic value for advanced prostate cancer

The well-studied protein VEGF does not appear to have any prognostic or predictive value for men with locally advanced prostate cancer, researchers from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and other institutions found in a retrospective study published online April 25 in the journal BMC Radiation Oncology. [More]
Neuralstem gets approval from FDA for dosing cohort patients in NSI-189 Phase Ib in MDD treatment

Neuralstem gets approval from FDA for dosing cohort patients in NSI-189 Phase Ib in MDD treatment

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that it has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin dosing the third and final cohort of patients in its ongoing Phase Ib to test the safety of NSI-189 in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). [More]
Phase 1 clinical study of rHIgM22 initiated for treatment of multiple sclerosis

Phase 1 clinical study of rHIgM22 initiated for treatment of multiple sclerosis

Mayo Clinic and Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the first clinical trial of rHIgM22, a remyelinating antibody being studied for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. [More]
Researchers transform skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells

Researchers transform skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have succeeded in transforming skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells, the cells that wrap nerve cells in the insulating myelin sheaths that help nerve signals propagate. [More]

Acorda Therapeutics reports positive data from dalfampridine-ER post-stroke deficits trial

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that a proof-of-concept trial found dalfampridine extended release tablets, marketed as AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg, improved walking in people with post-stroke deficits. [More]

Artificial neural connection bridging spinal cord injury may help restore paretic hand function

Functional loss of limb control in individuals with spinal cord injury or stroke can be caused by interruption of the neural pathways between brain and spinal cord, although the neural circuits located above and below the lesion remain functional. An artificial neural connection that bridges the lost pathway and connects brain to spinal circuits has potential to ameliorate the functional loss. [More]

Study reveals new method to restore grip function in people with tetraplegia

A new method in which a number of operations are performed simultaneously can provide people with tetraplegia with a better grip function and the ability to open their hand. This method also shortens the patient's rehabilitation period by at least three months, reveals a doctoral thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. [More]

Patent covering methods of treating ALS receives notice of allowance

Neuralstem, Inc. announced today that it received a notice of allowance for patent application 12/404,841. This patent covers methods for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig 's disease) with expanded spinal cord stem cells, including NSI-566. [More]
Spencer Trask applauds InVivo for getting FDA approval to test biopolymer scaffold in humans

Spencer Trask applauds InVivo for getting FDA approval to test biopolymer scaffold in humans

Spencer Trask, a venture capital firm focused on developing big ideas into world-changing companies, congratulates InVivo Therapeutics, for its recent approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [More]

FDA approves InVivo Therapeutics' IDE to test biopolymer scaffold product in humans

InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp., a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries and other neurotrauma conditions, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Company's Investigational Device Exemption to begin human studies to test its biopolymer scaffold product, a technology developed to treat patients with acute, traumatic SCI. [More]

InVivo Therapeutics obtains HUD designation from FDA for spinal cord injury treatment

InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp., a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries and other neurotrauma conditions, today announced that the Company has received approval for its request filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Humanitarian Use Device designation for its biopolymer scaffolding product. [More]

Anthem Life Insurance supports Warfighter Sports program for fourth consecutive year

For the fourth year in a row, Anthem Life Insurance Company supports Disabled Sports USA's Warfighter Sports program to help severely injured service men and women rebuild their lives through sports with a ski event in the Tahoe ski area in Olympic Valley, California, from April 4 through April 6. [More]
IDIBELL signs agreement with Histocell to use patent for acute pulmonary diseases with stem cells

IDIBELL signs agreement with Histocell to use patent for acute pulmonary diseases with stem cells

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute has signed a licensing agreement with the Spanish biotech company Histocell to make use of a patent for the treatment of acute pulmonary diseases with mesenchymal stem cells. [More]
New analysis reveals online nutritional guidelines for cancer patients appear to be inconsistent

New analysis reveals online nutritional guidelines for cancer patients appear to be inconsistent

Radiation oncologists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are stressing the need for evidence-based, standardized guidelines on dietary recommendations for cancer patients—and with good reason. [More]