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.

Corticosteroids should not be used in the treatment of head injuries

Corticosteroids should not be used in the treatment of head injuries, conclude the final results of a randomised trial published online today (Thursday May 26, 2005) by The Lancet.

25 May 2005

The National Infertility Association joins infertility groups to Support Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

The National Infertility Association joins with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the American Fertility Association in support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, HR 810.

23 May 2005

Researchers generate patient-specific stem cells

Researchers have isolated the first human embryonic stem cell lines specifically tailored to match the nuclear DNA of patients, both males and females of various ages, suffering from disease or spinal cord injury.

20 May 2005

New blood tests for both prostate and colon cancer

Tessera Inc., a Seattle-based biomedical company is, in collaboration with Dr. Robert Getzenberg, Director of the Brady Urological Research Institute at Johns Hopkins University, developing blood tests for both prostate and colon cancer and expects to commence clinical trials on EPCA (Early Prostate Cancer Antigen), its first blood test for prostate cancer, before the end of this year.

18 May 2005

Discovery reveals how stem cells can be used to help repair acute spinal cord damage

A treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells improves mobility in rats with spinal cord injuries, providing the first physical evidence that the therapeutic use of these cells can help restore motor skills lost from acute spinal cord tissue damage.

10 May 2005

Ginkgo beneficial for multiple sclerosis symptoms

When it comes to her health, Janice Winfield of Portland, Ore., does her research. That's why the stay-at-home mom, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in July 2000, was willing to turn to popular, over-the-counter herbal supplements like ginkgo biloba to deal with memory problems, fatigue and occasional muscle pain.

27 Apr 2005

Insights could yield new approaches to nerve regeneration

Nervous system development requires billions of neurons to migrate to the appropriate locations in the brain and grow nerve fibers (axons) that connect to other nerve cells in an intricate network.

20 Apr 2005

Football is the sport most likely to cause neck injury

According to new research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, football beats hockey and soccer for the dubious distinction of the sport most likely to cause neck injury.

20 Apr 2005

Breakthough in stem cell research - three clones of cells from existing human embryonic stem cells

In an Australian first, UNSW researchers have developed three clones of cells from existing human embryonic stem cells. The breakthrough could lead to new treatments for conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury.

13 Apr 2005

Neuren and Metabolic collaborate to develop range of nerve repair compounds

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Neuren) and Metabolic Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Metabolic) have announced that the two companies have agreed to collaborate to co-develop Neuren's class of Neuro-regenerative Peptides (NRPs) for the treatment of degenerative conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, motor neuron disease and repairing the brain or nerves after injuries such as spinal cord injury.

7 Mar 2005

Massachusetts support of stem cell research

The Massachusetts Medical Society, the statewide association of physicians with some 18,000 members, has offered testimony before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies in support of Senate Bill 25, An Act Promoting Stem Cell Research.

17 Feb 2005

Spinal cord injury and obesity

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System are looking at how people with spinal cord injury burn calories and how that is affected by their muscle mass and body weight. The goal is to make better recommendations to people with spinal cord injury, but the research will also translate into greater understanding of obesity in the general population as well.

26 Dec 2004

Cell replacement therapy offers a novel and powerful medical technology

Cell replacement therapy offers a novel and powerful medical technology. A type of embryonic stem cell, called a neural crest stem cell, that persists into adulthood in hair follicles was recently discovered by Maya Sieber-Blum, Ph.D., of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milos Grim, MD Ph.D., of Charles University Prague, and their collaborators.

13 Dec 2004

Helping to heal complications from spinal cord injury

A London scientist has received a major grant to help improve the quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

8 Dec 2004

Replicating an eel's nerve circuitry may one day allow paralyzed people to walk again

In a collaboration that blends biology and robotics, researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland are unraveling the circuitry in an eel's spinal cord to help develop a microchip implant that may someday help paralyzed people walk again.

3 Dec 2004

Cord blood registry sees FDA regulation as good for consumers and industry

Beginning in May 2005, cord blood banks must meet new federal safety standards mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

24 Nov 2004

Motorcycle-related injuries have been on the rise since 1997

Motorcycle-related injuries and deaths have been on the rise since 1997, and urban teaching hospitals are bearing the brunt of caring for those injured, according to a new nationwide study.

24 Nov 2004

New research may lead to new treatments for spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis

For the first time, researchers have used human embryonic stem cells to create new insulating tissue for nerve fibers in a live animal model – a finding that has potentially important implications for treatment of spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis.

23 Nov 2004

Cells from skeletal muscle could be an important source of stem cells for repairing damaged muscle or nerve tissue

A group of cells called skeletal-muscle satellite cells are able to regenerate muscle fibres. Giulio Alessandri (Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy) and colleagues investigated whether these cells can differentiate into different types of mesenchymal cell (the types of cell that eventually form connective tissue, bone, cartilage, and the circulatory and lymphatic systems).

18 Nov 2004

In a world first, Australian researchers re-grow cut spinal cord

In a world first, Australian researchers have discovered a mechanism for greatly enhancing regrowth of spinal cord nerves after they are damaged, restoring the ability to walk in mice within weeks of a spinal cord injury.

8 Nov 2004