Spinal Research Highlights

Bacterial enzyme aids recovery

2011-11-18T22:53:00.001Z

I have posted before on the Glial scar and an inhibitory component of this, chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans, or CSPGs. The Glial scar is a particular consequence of CNS injury but CSPGs are also found everywhere in the extra cellular matrix (ECM) of the central nervous system. CSPGs have many known and unknown functions. For example, they form lattice-like nets around synapses between cells to

Recovery of bladder function worth the wait

2011-11-16T12:50:00.000Z

One of the major clinical problems after complete SCI is the so-called neurogenic bladder. In this state, there is a lack of coordinated activity between the bladder and the external urethral sphincter which results in decreased voiding efficiency and increased pressure within the bladder. There is still relatively limited research into regenerative approaches to this important problem. Yu-Shang

Recovery of function using nerve bridges

2011-11-14T21:41:00.001Z

I wrote earlier on biomaterials. This fits nicely with a poster I saw today from the Silver lab (Case Western University, Ohio) who have been using peripheral nerve (PN) bridges to circumvent a complete hemisection injury of the cervical cord. Such an injury interrupts signals from respiratory control system in the brain to motor neurons in the spinal cord that drive breathing. The result in this

Old concepts revisited and new models

2011-11-13T23:22:00.001Z

The Tuszynski lab went a little old school in a couple of papers presented during today's morning session. Verena Haringer (#158.10) from the group presented on the properties of cells they had isolated from rodent embryonic spinal cord tissue. Tissue from the cord was dissociated and progenitor cells isolated and grown up. They found these cells would spontaneously become neuronal cell lineages.

Washington plays host to SfN 2011

2011-11-12T22:01:00.016Z

Official SfN 2011 Header It has been a whole year and once again the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting decends on another major US city - this time Washington , DC. Each year I try to give a flavour of the meeting and write about some of the interesting things I see at the meeting. Washington at this time of year is looking pretty good; cold but sunny. Now the meeting has started in

Cell-based therapy for SCI

2010-11-18T00:42:00.000Z

The morning’s session on the final day of SfN2010 included a number of posters on cell transplantation strategies for SCI. Schwann cells derived from skin precursors (SKP-SCs) have been reported to improve outcomes despite less than 20% cell survival in the damaged cord. Sparling sought to improve SKP-SC with Neuregulin and other co-treatments expected to enhance graft survival. With the

Maths & medicine go hand-in-hand

2010-11-17T15:30:00.000Z

Developing treatments for SCI might be broken down into different phases. It begins with understanding what a SCI actually is – what happens after the immediate injury and changes that occur in the spinal cord during the following months – and from there identify which of the various changes or processes might be amenable to treatment interventions – in other words, identify a therapeutic target.

Fish oil and spinal cord injury

2010-11-15T01:33:00.003Z

We're always being told fish oil is good for us. Eat more oily fish. Well apparently there is accumulating evidence, according to S. J. Gladman, that fish oils, and in particular a class of fish oils known as Omega-3, has some remarkable therapeutic potential in a number of disorders of the nervous system, including trauma. Using a cell-based model to replicate the mechanical stretch axons

Society for Neuroscience: Day 1

2010-11-15T00:35:00.006Z

Twenty-fours travel (door to door) and setting up our exhibitors booth left just time to relax a little before the marathon Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego began in earnest. In this day and age of heightened security and baggage scanning it was somewhat amazing that a suitcase containing a plastic and metal, anatomically-correct sized, model of a spinal cord got through without

Has it really been a year?

2010-11-02T12:43:00.012Z

Spinal Research heads off to the 40th Annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting in San Diego (13-17 Nov). Look out for posts on research emerging in the field of spinal cord injury (and maybe beyond). You can also find other blogs covering the meeting. If you're attending the meeting this year come visit our booth in the nonprofit section (Booth #3824)

Have embryonic stems cells had their day - already?

2010-02-18T10:24:00.004Z

Yesterday's article on the Times online site gave voice to Thomas Okarma (CEO of Geron) who was making the case that embryonic stem cells are the only viable source of stem cell-based treatments. Geron, you may know, are preparing to enter clinical trials with the first human embryonic stem cell treatment in SCI. The ethical debate on the use of embryonic/fetal stem cells will probably not go

Unlocking the salamander's capacity to regenerate

2009-12-08T10:40:00.004Z

The salamander has intrigued scientists for many years with its extraordinary capacity to regenerate after injury. Why is it and how do these animals manage to completely and faithfully regenerate large body structures such as limbs when mammals don’t? In 2005, the respected journal, Science, declared that understanding

Geron trial

2009-11-10T15:14:00.007Z

Stem cells were in the news again. Geron will be hoping that the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will allow an expansion of the clinical trial using their human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte precursor cells to include patients with cervical injuries. Previously, the FDA had given the go-ahead for recruitment of thoracic patients only as there was insufficient supporting data for

Antifreeze .... anyone?

2009-11-10T14:07:00.002Z

A fairly low-key story appeared in a number of media reports yesterday on the use of nanoparticles in SCI. The reports (e.g. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=9028713) surfaced following the epublication of a paper in the journal Nature Nanomedicine.The nanoparticles in question are made from a compound found in antifreeze – polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG has been quite extensively

Much to be learned from rehab

2009-11-10T12:27:00.003Z

A number of interventions are now in early clinical trial and more are being proposed, yet there is a growing concern that existing measures to test efficacy may be inadequate, particularly if we accept that initial improvements may be poor (though still promising). Development of objective neurophysiological as well as functional measures has become an increasingly active area of research.

Stem cells - BBC Horizon 27-10-09

2009-10-28T11:26:00.007Z

The BBC’s topical science programme, Horizon, aired last night (27-10-09) with a programme exploring the potential of stem cell technology and what the future might hold in store for those living with chronic conditions. Following three individuals with different medical conditions (amputation, chronic progressive heart disease and SCI) it was the usual intercut vignettes and interviews with

Are we seeing inside the black box of Glial scar inhibition?

2009-10-26T16:00:00.002Z

Growing axons, whether damaged or sprouting from spared neuronal tissue, are needed to restore lost function after SCI. Unfortunately, they are inhibited by molecules found on the surface of myelin – the insulting material surrounding axons that is found everywhere within the central nervous system.The idea goes that myelin is decorated on its surface with many molecules and when growing axons

Restoration of bladder function

2009-10-21T20:17:00.002+01:00

Bladder/bowel dysfunction is a major clinical/quality of life issue for those suffering a SCI. There are a few strategies being examined to recover bladder function including some drug interventions and functional electrical stimulation (FES). According to Lee (SfN2009 Program# 858.4) there has to date been far less focus on regeneration strategies to promote recovery of efficient bladder

Successes in chronic injury

2009-10-20T12:54:00.002+01:00

If you want to get injured axons to regenerate across the injury site it is pretty clear you need to adopt a combinatorial approach. Simply placing Schwann cells into the injury, for example, results in regeneration of axons into the graft but they refuse to come out again back into the cord. Even introducing “axon candy” – neurotrophins – to entice regenerating axons to leave the graft doesn’t

More about inhibitors - beyond the glia scar

2009-10-19T21:03:00.002+01:00

One poster presentation at the Society for Neuroscience meeting really caught my eye today, but we need a bit of background first. There are many inhibitors in the central nervous system (CNS) that prevent axonal regeneration after injury. Their function in healthy cord is likely to be related to preventing uncontrolled growth of fibres once the CNS matures after early development and the various

"Two" much of a good thing

2009-10-19T00:07:00.003+01:00

We all know - don’t we? – that the insulating material (myelin) surrounding the axons in the nervous system helps the efficient transfer of signals from one neuron to the next. Unfortunately, this myelin also contains molecules that are inhibitory to regenerating axons that come into contact with it. So researchers have developed an antibody to masks these inhibitory molecules and help damaged

Cellular repair strategies need a helping hand

2009-10-18T21:24:00.002+01:00

The use of cellular grafts or transplants to aid recovery of function after SCI is attractive for a number of reasons. They can potentially replace lost cells, act as cellular factories producing biological molecules to stimulate and support axonal growth or they could potentially repair the spinal circuitry that’s become disrupted by the loss of the insulating myelin sheath. All these strategies

Scientists get new tools to play with.

2009-10-17T23:10:00.005+01:00

The Allen Institute for Brain Science is a non-profit medical research organization dedicated to innovative basic research on the nervous system and distributing its discoveries to researchers around the world. The Institute takes on "far-reaching projects at the intersection of biology and technology" - not surprising, it being the brainchild of philantropist Paul G. Allen.Launched in 2003 with

Where's all this stuff heading?

2009-10-17T11:31:00.003+01:00

Like a stream into a river into the sea; at Heathrow Terminal 5, you spot one, then another, then a few more. It is more obvious at departure gate A10 for BA flight 297 to Chicago, where it seems every third person is carrying one – a 3 foot long cylinder about the diameter of a couple of baguettes, usually black. The trick is to get on the plane early so that you can place your hand luggage

Chicago, here we come ....

2009-10-14T16:30:00.005+01:00

Welcome to this new blog site created by Spinal Research. We will post regularly, providing comments on the latest research from around the world in the field of the repair of spinal cord injury.Next week Spinal Research will be at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Chicago. If you've never been or want to know what 30,000+ neuroscientists talk about when they get together