New Treatment Shows Promise for Those with Spinal Cord Injuries

February 06, 2013

New Treatment Shows Promise for Those with Spinal Cord Injuries

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 200,000 people in the United States are currently living with a severe spinal cord injury (SCI). Experts estimate that an additional 12,000 to 20,000 people in the United States suffer an SCI each year. The cost of treating these injuries is significant: the average annual medical cost for someone with a spinal cord injury is anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000, depending on the severity of the injury.

Spinal cord injuries are particularly devastating because they are permanent. Despite doctors' best efforts, there is little they can do to cure a damaged spinal cord. A new study published recently in The Journal of Neuroscience, however, indicates that an experimental drug offers some hope of restoring neurological function lost to an SCI.

Ohio State University Study

Researchers at Ohio State University and the University of California at San Francisco gave an experimental drug - known as LM11A-31 - to laboratory mice shortly after they had suffered crippling injuries to their spinal cords. Researchers discovered that the mice receiving the highest doses of the drug were able to regain the use of their legs after treatment for 42 days.

The drug works by blocking a protein released after SCIs that destroys the nerve cells surrounding and protecting axons, the structures that help transmit signals from the brain to the rest of the body. The drug is significant because it is easily able to cross the blood-brain barrier, the natural separation between circulating blood and brain extracellular fluid that helps to protect the brain from potentially harmful blood-borne substances.

More research is needed to determine whether LM11A-31 remains effective if a patient does not receive it until weeks or months after the initial injury. The hope is that the drug, in conjunction with other therapies, can help humans regain neurological function.

A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury or any other catastrophic injury due to the negligence of another person, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can assess your case and help you get the fair and adequate compensation you deserve for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. For more information about what a personal injury attorney can do for you, contact a lawyer today.

Article provided by Mushkatel & Becker, P.L.L.C.
Visit us at http://www.westphoenixattorney.com