Researchers optimistic about new treatment for spinal cord injuries

April 13, 2013 (Press-News.org) Researchers optimistic about new treatment for spinal cord injuries

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Doctors at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis recently announced that they had performed their first human cell transplant aimed at treating a patient with a spinal cord injury. The transplant was the first of eight procedures scheduled after the federal clinical trial was approved late last year. The group already has already begun working with a second subject.

The specific procedure performed involved the harvesting of Schwann cells from nerve tissue in the subject patient's leg. These cells were then injected back into the patient's body. Schwann cells are not stem cells, but rather a variety of nerve cells that help keep nerve fibers alive. Among other things, Schwann cells play a critical role in nerve development and regeneration. Using cells from a patient's own body reduces both the risk of rejection and the possibility of transmitting diseases that are passed on genetically.

The current approved clinical trial is aimed at evaluating the efficacy of this treatment on a very specific subset of patients. In order to qualify for the trial, subjects must have suffered a thoracic spinal cord injury no more than five days before the treatment and must be between 18 and 50 years old. Doctors are optimistic that the treatments they are developing will help not only those with spinal cord injuries, but also those with neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Spinal cord injuries are a problem in the U.S.

According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, approximately 1.3 million people in the U.S. are currently paralyzed due to spinal cord injuries. Statistics compiled by the Reeve Foundation indicate that workplace accidents, motor vehicle accidents and falls from heights are some of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries in the U.S., accounting for 28, 24 and nine percent of injuries, respectively. Unfortunately, caring for someone with a spinal cord injury can be extremely expensive. According to the University of Alabama National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average costs associated with a spinal cord injury can run from $228,566 to $775,567 in the first year alone. For someone who suffers an injury at 25 years old, the lifetime costs can be as high as $3 million.

Although further research and trials are needed, new treatments may prove indispensable in helping those with spinal cord injuries regain as much feeling and function as possible.