Studying the Validity of Stem Cell Therapy on Spinal Cord Injuries

A new study conducted a meta-analysis of previous lab experiments in 156 previously published studies on the effects of stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury.

The paper, "Stem Cell Transplantation in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Animal Studies", is published in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Ana Antonic, David Howells and colleagues from the Florey Institute and the University of Melbourne, Australia, and Malcolm MacLeod and colleagues from the University of Edinburgh, UK. It addresses the validity of stem cell therapy on spinal cord injuries.

The study finds that stem cell treatment results in about a 25% average improvement in both sensory and motor outcomes.

The spinal cord, combined with the brain, makes up the Central Nervous System (CNS). It is about 43 cm (17 in) to 45 cm (18 in) long and around 0.25 to 0.50 inches thick.

The spinal cord transmits the neural signals from the brain to the rest of the body. Neural circuits that can independently control numerous reflexes and central pattern generators also can be found in the spinal cord.

The spinal cord is very delicate, any major damage to the spinal cord may result in death or paralysis. Aside from stem cell therapy, scientists are looking into neuroprosthetics and robotics in treating spinal cord injury.

New Neurostimulation Techniques in Spinal Cord Stimulators For Pain Management Developed

Researchers have developed new techniques in implanted spinal cord stimulators to reduce common complications at the implant site. Spinal cord stimulators are devices used in neurostimulation to manage chronic pain conditions.

Neurostimulation is a type of treatment and therapy where neurons in the nervous system are stimulated to either restore functionality of a certain organ, control an organ, or induce/reduce a specific nerve signal within the system. This is done through micro-electrodes that deliver electrical signals to the neurons.

There are four types of neurostimulation. These are brain stimulation, deep brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

Of the four, spinal cord stimulation is used for the treatment and therapy of chronic pain. It includes conditions such as migraine, paralysis, diabetic neuropathy, Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, and other conditions where pain management cannot be effectively be treated through medication or where SCS can augment medication to deliver a better quality of life.

SCS uses electrical stimulation to ease the sensation of pain by suppressing the feeling of pain. Implanted micro-electrodes sends out electrical impulses , through an electrical pulse generator, to the tissue. The pulses are regulated and controlled by a device that adjusts the frequency and strength of the signal.

Spinal cord stimulation is the most popular type of neeurostimulation to manage chronic pain syndromes.

Spinal Cord Tracts and Pathways
Credit: Wikipedia

Update On Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Through Robotics, Neurorehabilitation, and Electrical-Chemical Stimulation

An update on the research conducted last year on repairing spinal cord injury is set to be delivered at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston.

In the June 01 issue of Science, Grégoire Courtine, of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) published a report on how rats with spinal cord injuries and severe paralysis managed to walk and even run again.

"After a couple of weeks of neurorehabilitation with a combination of a robotic harness and electrical-chemical stimulation, our rats are not only voluntarily initiating a walking gait, but they are soon sprinting, climbing up stairs and avoiding obstacles," explains Courtine, who holds the International Paraplegic Foundation (IRP) Chair in Spinal Cord Repair at EPF

Courtine used a cemical solution that triggers cell responses to specific receptors on the spinal neurons. This chemical, monoamine agonists, replaces neurotransmitters and acts to excite neurons. After the injection, the spinal cord is electrically stimulated with electrodes. The electrical stimulation sends continuous electrical signals through nerve fibers to the chemically excited neurons that control leg movement.

Every year, around 50,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries, most result in paralysis. This study may lead to effective treatments of these injuries and allow patients to walk again and even fully recover from it.

Repairing Spinal Cord Injuries Through Schwann Cell Transplantation and Inhibition of Scarring

A new treatment for spinal cord injuries using the transplantation of Schwann cells and inhibiting the formation of scar tissues is being developed at the University of Liverpool and University of Glasgow.

The most abundant cells in the central nervous system are astrocytes (see image). They are a type of glial cells, cells that provide support and insulation between brain neurons. Their function includes biochemical support of endothelial cells that form the blood–brain barrier, provision of nutrients to the nervous tissue, maintenance of extracellular ion balance, and a role in the repair and scarring process of the brain and spinal cord following traumatic injuries.

Walking Again After Spinal Cord Injury Through Neuroprosthetics and Robotics

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nerves, tissue, and cells that extends from the medulla oblongata. Along with the brain, it makes up the Central Nervous System (CNS).

It begins at the occipital bone and extends down to the space between the first and second lumbar vertebrae; it does not extend the entire length of the vertebral column. It is around 45 cm (18 in) in men and around 43 cm (17 in) long in women. The spinal cord ranges in varying thickness from 1/2 inch to 1/4 inches.

The primary function of the spinal cord is the transmission of neural signals between the brain and the rest of the body. It also contains neural circuits that can independently control numerous reflexes and central pattern generators.

The spinal cord has three major functions:

• Conduit for motor information which travels down the spinal cord
• Conduit for sensory information in the reverse direction
• Center for coordinating certain reflexes.

Any major damage to the spinal cord may result in death or paralysis.

Walking again after spinal cord injury

Rats with spinal cord injuries and severe paralysis are now walking (and running) thanks to researchers at EPFL. Published in the June 1, 2012 issue of Science, the results show that a severed section of the spinal cord can make a comeback when its own innate intelligence and regenerative capacity—what lead author Grégoire Courtine of EPFL calls the "spinal brain"—is awakened. The study, begun five years ago at the University of Zurich, points to a profound change in our understanding of the central nervous system. It is yet unclear if similar rehabilitation techniques could work for humans, but the observed nerve growth hints at new methods for treating paralysis.