Spinal Cord Injury News and Research

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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.

BioMarin announces preliminary results from ADAPT in patients suffering from PKU

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today preliminary results from ADAPT (A Diversified Approach for PKU Treatment) in an abstract (Abstract #91, Mental Health Screening in Phenylketoniuria Clinic) presented by Barbara Burton, MD at the 2011 annual American College of Medical Genetics conference in Vancouver, Canada.

19 Mar 2011

Beike, ThermoGenesis enter agreement to employ new technology for stem cell therapies

Beike Biotechnology Co. Ltd., China's leading stem cell research and regenerative medicine company, announced an agreement with USA-based ThermoGenesis Corp. to employ new, cutting edge stem cell processing and storage technology across its adult stem cell collection, processing, and archive platform.

17 Mar 2011

Researchers investigate why immune system is blunted after spinal cord injury

Mobility is a challenge for spinal cord injured patients. Infection is another. Adam Thrasher, assistant professor of health and human performance, says infection is the leading cause of death for people living with spinal cord injuries for two years or more.

4 Mar 2011

Scientists discover specific type of human cell to treat spinal cord injuries

For the first time, scientists discovered that a specific type of human cell, generated from stem cells and transplanted into spinal cord injured rats, provide tremendous benefit, not only repairing damage to the nervous system but helping the animals regain locomotor function as well.

2 Mar 2011

Neuralstem announces initiation of NSI-189 Phase Ia trial for major depressive disorder

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that the first subject was dosed yesterday in a Phase Ia trial to evaluate the safety of its drug, NSI-189, which is being developed for the treatment of major depressive disorder and other psychiatric indications. NSI-189 is the lead compound in Neuralstem's neurogenerative small molecule drug platform. This phase of the trial is in healthy volunteers and seeks to determine the maximum tolerated single dose.

2 Mar 2011

Geron's hESC derived GRNCM1 halts remodeling process and preserves cardiac function in acute heart damage

Geron Corporation today announced preclinical study data showing positive effects of GRNCM1, Geron's cardiomyocyte product derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), in a small animal model of acute heart damage. Administering GRNCM1 by injection into the heart resulted in greater resistance to induced arrhythmias, halted adverse cardiac remodeling and preserved mechanical function compared to controls.

2 Mar 2011

Acupressure improves cognitive function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury

A new University of Colorado Boulder study indicates an ancient form of complementary medicine may be effective in helping to treat people with mild traumatic brain injury, a finding that may have implications for some U.S. war veterans returning home.

1 Mar 2011

BrainStorm raises $3.6 million through private placement financing

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that it has entered into securities purchase agreements with certain institutional and other investors in connection with a private placement financing in reliance upon Regulation S. BrainStorm received gross proceeds of approximately $3.6 million resulting from the sale of shares at a purchase price of $0.28 per share at the closing of the transaction.

28 Feb 2011

Pittsburgh researchers awarded funds for testing brain-computer interfaces in patients with spinal cord injuries

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have been awarded funding for two projects that will place brain-computer interfaces (BCI) in patients with spinal cord injuries to test if it is possible for them to control external devices, such as a computer cursor or a prosthetic limb, with their thoughts.

18 Feb 2011

Acorda reports fourth quarter net revenue of $133.1 million for full year ended December 31, 2010

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2010.

17 Feb 2011

Hospital for Special Care announces opening of comprehensive heart failure in-patient unit in Connecticut

Hospital for Special Care (HSC), one of the nation's largest long-term acute-care hospitals, announces the opening of the first comprehensive heart failure in-patient unit in Connecticut, under the direction of board-certified intensivists and cardiologists.

15 Feb 2011

BioTime to merge Glycosan with OrthoCyte

BioTime, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to merge Utah-based Glycosan BioSystems, Inc. (Glycosan) with BioTime's wholly-owned subsidiary, OrthoCyte Corporation. The acquisition is expected to close by March 18, 2011.

14 Feb 2011

FDA grants BrainStorm's NurOwn orphan drug designation for treatment of ALS

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to the Company's NurOwn™ autologous adult stem cell product candidate for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

14 Feb 2011

Neuralstem updates progress of ongoing clinical trial of spinal cord stem cells in treatment of ALS

Neuralstem, Inc. updated the progress of its ongoing Phase I human clinical trial of the company's spinal cord stem cells in the treatment of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease) at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

11 Feb 2011

FDA grants Neuralstem orphan drug designation for treatment of ALS with spinal cord stem cells

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Orphan Products Development has granted it orphan drug designation for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with its human spinal cord derived neural stem cells (NSI-566RSC), currently in a Phase I safety study to evaluate the safety of the product and the surgical route of administration in a wide range of ALS patients.

10 Feb 2011

FDA proposes new Innovation Pathway program for pioneering medical devices

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed the Innovation Pathway, a priority review program for new, breakthrough medical devices and announced the first submission: a brain-controlled, upper-extremity prosthetic that will serve as a pilot for the program. The FDA also announced plans to seek further public comment before the Pathway can be used more broadly.

9 Feb 2011

Research identifies potential reversibility of chronic neurologic disability in stroke survivors

A breakthrough in stroke research identifying the potential reversibility of chronic neurologic disability in stroke survivors has published today. In the February 1, 2011 issue of the journal CNS Drugs the first human results of a new method of targeting chronic brain inflammation years after stroke are reported.

2 Feb 2011

Research shows nestin regulates formation of neuromuscular junction

In a study published in the Jan. 30, 2011, advance online edition of Nature Neuroscience, Salk Institute of Biological Studies investigators led by Kuo-Fen Lee, PhD., show that nestin has reason for being in a completely different cell type--muscle tissue.

30 Jan 2011

Taxol reduces cell regeneration obstacles after spinal cord injury: Scientists

After a spinal cord injury a number of factors impede the regeneration of nerve cells. Two of the most important of these factors are the destabilization of the cytoskeleton and the development of scar tissue.

29 Jan 2011

HPN President announces gift to UCLA to advance research for Neural Regeneration

Dr. Richard Merkin, President and CEO of Heritage Provider Network, and the Merkin Family Foundation announce the generous gift to the UCLA Department of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA to advance research for Neural Regeneration.

29 Jan 2011

Spinal Cord Injury News and Research

Further Reading

BioMarin announces preliminary results from ADAPT in patients suffering from PKU

Beike, ThermoGenesis enter agreement to employ new technology for stem cell therapies

Researchers investigate why immune system is blunted after spinal cord injury

Scientists discover specific type of human cell to treat spinal cord injuries

Neuralstem announces initiation of NSI-189 Phase Ia trial for major depressive disorder

Geron's hESC derived GRNCM1 halts remodeling process and preserves cardiac function in acute heart damage

Acupressure improves cognitive function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury

BrainStorm raises $3.6 million through private placement financing

Pittsburgh researchers awarded funds for testing brain-computer interfaces in patients with spinal cord injuries

Acorda reports fourth quarter net revenue of $133.1 million for full year ended December 31, 2010

Hospital for Special Care announces opening of comprehensive heart failure in-patient unit in Connecticut

BioTime to merge Glycosan with OrthoCyte

FDA grants BrainStorm's NurOwn orphan drug designation for treatment of ALS

Neuralstem updates progress of ongoing clinical trial of spinal cord stem cells in treatment of ALS

FDA grants Neuralstem orphan drug designation for treatment of ALS with spinal cord stem cells

FDA proposes new Innovation Pathway program for pioneering medical devices

Research identifies potential reversibility of chronic neurologic disability in stroke survivors

Research shows nestin regulates formation of neuromuscular junction

Taxol reduces cell regeneration obstacles after spinal cord injury: Scientists

HPN President announces gift to UCLA to advance research for Neural Regeneration

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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